Goals and Mindset

My mother is a very smart and determined lady. Growing up, my siblings
and I always knew one thing about our mother—when she set herself to
accomplish something, she will accomplish it! There was never any
question. She would make her plans known and stay focused until it was
completed. Nothing was impossible to her. She just acted as if she had
already achieved the goal, and this made the impossible possible.

I am so privileged to have witnessed this and it has done wonders for
my life. Instead of having New Year's resolutions, I have goals. I set
my goals, make them known, and then go through the process of staying
focused until I've accomplished them. Looking back, I remember some of
the bigger goals that I've set.

1997 - I wanted to buy a baby grand for my daughter as a Christmas
gift. Eliza was only 9 years old, playing wonderful music, and her
piano teacher said she would soar even more if she had a good piano at
home where she could practice. I worked really hard to earn enough to
buy the piano and with my husband's help, we had the baby grand
delivered one ordinary day in August. I still remember Eliza’s face
when she saw what was being delivered, then she sat at the piano and
played for almost two hours.

2000 - I had not seen my paternal grandmother for decades and when I
heard that she was beginning to lose her memory, I set the goal to
have enough money to have my husband and kids meet her. She lived in
Australia—that would take a lot of funds. I wore a kangaroo pin
everyday to remind me of my goal. By that summer I had enough to buy
the plane tickets and had a wonderful month with her. She passed away
two years later.

2006 - With my four children all grown, it was a perfect time for them
to see the Philippines—the country where my husband and I grew up. All
the kids had their busy school and sports activities, so I knew this
was going to be a huge challenge to get them all together for a summer
vacation. I told them early in the year that the goal was to go to the
Philippines that summer. They didn't think it would be possible, yet
they also understood that with the goal set in place, there was a
great possibility they would be packing their bags for the tropics. We
spent the whole month of August traveling throughout my homeland—the
experience was priceless.

I could go on and on about goals and why you should set them. But
basically, it works! Take the time to put one together.

• Write down your goal in a place where you can see it every day. 
• Tell people about your goal. 
• Set a deadline on when you plan to achieve it. 
• Then stay focused, keep a positive mindset, and don't let anything take you off course.

You will be amazed by how your mind will train your body to do
what needs to be done. Like the line in the song "Believe" from the
Polar Express says... "Believe in what you feel inside and give your
dreams the wings to fly. You have everything you need if you just
believe."

My story for the 2011 KW Cultural Summit

As one of two 2011 Cultural Ambassadors recently selected to represent the Northwest Region in the upcoming Cultural Summit at the Keller Williams convention in Anaheim, I was asked to share an experience on what the Keller Williams culture means to me and how it has made a difference in my life. Here's my story:

 

I joined the Keller Williams Family in October 2008. I was with a huge franchise company for 15 years prior and when the market shifted, it seemed that there was no guidance or support given to their agents. It seemed that the company was more concerned about their bottom line than how agents were going to survive the change. I heard about the Keller Williams agent training that was open to everyone. I started attending the classes and more than simply learning, I was exposed to the Keller Williams culture.

It was just a matter of time when I realized KW was the place I wanted to be. As soon as I heard that KW's priorities were in line with mine: God, family, then career, it solidified my decision. The biggest benefit I have received as a member of the KW family is finally understanding my life's purpose - my big WHY. Thanks to the patience and support of my team leader, Beth King, I am now living life with a goal. 

Let me share an excerpt from a letter I wrote my daughter on February 2010 shortly after returning from my first Family Reunion experience. Eliza, at that time was in Quaxaca, Mexico, working with children and their families. She was only 21 and already a volunteer with Medical Teams International.

"My visit to the convention in New Orleans made my desire to open an orphanage in the Philippines even stronger. Keller Williams is truly a different company that gives so much back to the community. Now I know why they call it a Family Reunion rather than a convention. My vision of an orphanage that children can truly call home is something I want to start working on. My goal is to have it up and running in August 2020. Somehow I feel that your work, Eliza, is paving the way for this. I believe you are God's gift to me. A means and inspiration to pursue my dream."

My trip to Family Reunion in New Orleans was made possible by an anonymous agent who paid my fee. Today, an agent is here because I recognize a good deed must be passed on. I am paying it forward in hopes that this person will also learn and experience what I was given.

Our belief system, the WI4C2TS, is such a guiding light for us all and it sets us apart from others. Culture is when I am given the privilege to share ideas, to teach and to mentor. Culture is when I become committed in what I do, afterall, "What is worth doing is worth doing well".

Publisher, Darren Hardy, states "Success is not only the financial wealth you accumulate, it is also about being a leader, improving your relationships, living healthfully, and making a real difference in the world."

I will be forever grateful that my Keller Williams Family allows me to be all of this.

The KW Belief System: WI4C2TS

Win - win or no deal

Integrity - do the right thing

Customers always comes first

Commitment in all things

Communication - seek first to understand

Creativity - ideas before results

Teamwork - together everyone achieves more

Trust - starts with honesty

Success - results through people

Beginning the New Year with a New Blog

Welcome, Readers! Can you believe I am writing in a blog? For those of you who don’t know exactly what a blog is, don’t worry, I am still learning myself. 

A blog is a way for an individual to share their interests and thoughts about different  topics in an informal online atmosphere. Often, blogs consist of short daily to weekly entries (or “posts”) and the topics of the posts are up to the blogger (that's me).

This blog consists primarily of topics that I’m interested in, such as the housing market and real estate and it will also be about me and my personal interests and goals. I love to dance and to teach salsa dancing so you can be sure I’ll be writing a lot about that. And, I also dream of opening an orphanage in the Philippines so I’ll be writing about that in future posts as well.

You are more than welcome to leave comments on my blog and contribute to any of the discussions. I hope to gain your readership and keep your interest. Your feedback is always welcome. Thank you and Happy Reading!

Your Friend and Realtor, Elizabeth Ramos