Our values are at the very centre of what we are as people. Our values determine our beliefs about the world and even more importantly, about ourselves. Our beliefs determine our attitude to life in general and everything that happens to us, and determine our expectations. Our values are pretty much our personal philosophy of life.
It is your values that ultimately determine your actions and the decisions you make in every area of your life. If you're not sure what your values are, one of the best ways to find out is to look at your behaviour and your actions, particularly when you're faced with a number of options, or under pressure. If you look at the way you have behaved in the past, the choices you have made will give you a pretty accurate indication of your values, as you will always act according to what is most important to you at any time.
Most people have many different values with varying degrees of importance. Their order of priority may change in varying circumstances, but generally there will be some that have the strongest influence over most of our behaviour. The reason you should be aware of your values and know and understand yourself, before setting your goals, is that it's important that your goals are compatible to your values.
For example, if Dave spends an extra 2 or 3 hours a day on top of his full time job working on opportunities that will help to create a better future for himself and his family, he has decided that this is the most valuable use of his time. He is expressing his most important values. If Jim decides that this time is better spent watching TV or socialising with friends, he is also expressing his most important values.
If you set a goal for yourself to be financially independent and to retire at the age of 50, it's easy to see which of the above behaviours is most likely to bring about that result. Therefore, there's little point for anyone who consistently finds themselves behaving more like Jim than Dave setting such a goal for themselves.
This is an example of how values, goals and actions are interconnected.
If your goals are not compatible with your values and overall philosophy on life, you are likely to or spend a lot of time going backwards and forwards, or around in circles, achieving little. You are also likely to create inner conflict and imbalance, and to become frustrated and disillusioned with the whole idea of setting goals.
"Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance." - Brian Tracy
Any homeowner would want to get the maximum value when selling their home. However some people mistakenly pay huge amounts of money and undertake complete repair and renovation jobs in an attempt to make the house more appealing. Consider yourself lucky if you ever do recover that money from the sale of your home.
It's a lot of little things, combined with only a few big ones that make the difference between a house that is so-so and one that is irresistible.
Start with the Exterior
First impressions count and the first thing your potential buyers are going to see is the exterior of the house and the garden. Chances are they may decide to drive past your house if they see an unruly garden and an unpainted house. So make sure your garden is well tended and cared for. Mow the lawn, water the plants and place your pots with flowering plants within plain sight. Make sure the exterior of your house is spotlessly clean and that includes the driveway, front porch, shutters and window screens. Take pains to ensure your front door and the surrounding area look absolutely clean. Give the door a fresh coat of paint if need be. Your customers will have a lot of time to have a good look at the front door and the surroundings while they wait for you to answer the door bell.
Lead the way in
Giving your interior walls a fresh coat of paint is undoubtedly the best way to increase the market value of your house. Neutral colors such as antique white or off white give your rooms an elegant and sophisticated quality that is unmatched. Get your carpets and drapes professionally cleaned. Replacing old and worn out fixtures with brand new ones is an inexpensive investment that will most likely reap you rich rewards.
And now, those three most important words that can make or break your sale- ?Clear The Clutter.? Now is a good time to throw away items that have been lying around and have never been used. Clean out and organize your closets. The client's wife will most likely want to see what the clothes cupboard looks like.
Both Garry Zancanaro & Adrian Adams are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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