Friday, June 20, 2008

6 Steps to Mastering the Creative Process

6 Steps to Mastering the Creative Process
by Howard Voyles
Have you ever marveled at the incredible creative and productivity of successful people? Those individuals that I have most admired were exceptional achievers, all of them successful by any standard. There was one characteristic in common, they all mastered the creative process.
This series of articles explores the 6 milestones that I have identified make up the creative process. These steps are repeatable and can be applied to any situation, goal or dream you want to achieve. Go ahead; follow these steps to your wildest dreams. Your success is only limited to what you can imagine. Step 1 The Creative Mindset - Positioning yourself for the creative processStep 2 Conceptualize - Creating, processing and prioritizing your ideas Step 3 Visualize - Turning your ideas into virtual realityStep 4 Strategize - Laying out your road map from here to thereStep 5 Exercise - Organizing, executing and practicing self-disciplineStep 6 Materialize - Accepting the reality of success
Step 1 THE CREATIVE MINDSET
Left side vs. right sideScience has long established that the human brain has a right and left sphere; logic is processed in the left and emotions and the creative in the right. Science may be correct but for years, society has sadly catalogued us as right or left brained, adding to perceived limitations. The truth is both sides of the brain are engaged when we employ the creative process.
So, to fully master the creative process we must first condition both sides of the brain. This means we must recondition emotional issues, reprogram preconceptions and prejudices, not accept our logic as absolute; in other words erase the bad tapes. Unless we have a concrete point of reference, it is human nature to posture events in a negative context.
Take our perception of failure. Generally, failure is taken as one’s inability to succeed at a given activity, so most folks simply stop trying when they meet the first failure. That is the right side of the brain talking. From that point on, logic (left side) will defer to the emotional (right side) and shut down that creative process in step 5 (Exercise). Too often, this is because earlier steps in the process were ignored or jumped.
You want your ideas and concepts to be fresh and untainted as you ready for the process.
At this point move your mental gears to neutral.
Conditioning both sidesIt is important to recognize that the creative process incorporates both sides of the brain at different steps and to different degrees during the process.
When you follow these steps to the creative process, you are training the full brain to work in harmony, maximizing the strengths of each side at the most opportune time, for the most critical tasks. This will create accord not discord. By engaging both sides in a coordinated effort you will have clearer vision, greater momentum and stay on your course.
Clear the ComputerThere are many ways to practice the process of clearing the mind, some use mediation others physical exercise. Use whatever suites your constitution and makeup.
When you clear you mind and logically layout the steps prior to launching your project, you give both your logical and emotional process a reference point to measure progress, control reactions and exercise sound judgment.
Best of all, this step makes room to develop and maintain a healthy prospective.
At this point move your mental gears from neutral to forward.
Congratulations, you are now ready to fully engage the creative process.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Homes Sales UP!!!!!!!!

N.J. bucks national trend: Q1 home sales up 4 percent
by Sam Ali
The price of a single-family home in the U.S. dropped 7.7 percent in the first quarter _ the largest year-over-year decline since the National Association of Realtors began reporting prices in 1982.
In the first quarter, the median existing single-family home in the U.S. stood at $196,300, down from the $212,600 median for the first quarter of 2007, the group reported today.
But while other states saw their home values plunge, a number of areas in New Jersey saw a slight rise in home sales prices during the first quarter.
NAR's report of metropolitan statistical areas showed that first quarter median sales price of existing single-family homes in the Atlantic City area increased by 4.8 percent. The median sales price grew from $264,600 in the first quarter of 2007 to $277,400 in 2008. The Trenton-Ewing market also experienced an increase in median sales price. The median sales price rose from $283,800 in the first quarter of 2007 to $288,200 in 2008, an increase of 1.6 percent.
The quarterly survey of metro region prices showed that median prices in 100 of 149 metro areas fell in the first quarter of 2008.
Meanwhile, the NAR reported today that total sales for single family homes, condominiums and co-ops in the U.S. dropped by 22 percent from the previous year. However, New Jersey was one of only three states to show an increase in home sales for the first quarter.Sales volume of existing single-family homes, condominiums and co-ops in the first quarter of 2008 increased 4 percent from the same period last year. New Jersey's seasonally adjusted annual rate of home sales equaled 169,600. The other two states that also experience an increase in sales volume in the first quarter were Alaska and Illinois. Visit www.C21JRs.com for more information on homes in New Jersey.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Who is Responsible



It’s time to meet the person who has been responsible for the life you live right now.
This person has created your income, your debt, your relationships, your health, your fitness level, your weight, your attitudes and your behaviors. Who is it? To introduce yourself, just walk to the closest mirror and say hello! This person is you!
Although one of the popular myths out there is that “external factors” determine how you live, the truth of the matter is that you are in complete control of the quality of your life.
It’s time to look at the life you’ve created and determine what is working and what is not. Certainly, there are wonderful things happening in your life, whether it’s your job, your spouse, your grades, your children, your friends, or your income level.
Congratulate yourself on these successes; you are creating them for yourself! And then take a look at what isn’t working out so well. What are you doing or not doing to create those experiences?
It’s time to stop blaming outside factors for your unhappiness.
When you realize that you create your experiences, you’ll realize that you can un-create them and create new experiences whenever you want. But you must take responsibility for your happiness and your unhappiness, your successes and your failures, your good times and your bad times. When you stop blaming, you can take that energy and redirect to focus on creating a better situation for yourself. Blaming only ties up your energy.
It’s also time to stop complaining.
Look at what you are complaining about. Really examine it. More than likely it is something that you can do something about.
Are you unhappy about something that is happening? Make requests that will make it more desirable to you, or take the steps to change it yourself. Making a change might be uncomfortable to you. It might mean you have to put in more time, money, and effort. It might mean that someone gets upset about it. It might be difficult to change or leave a situation, but staying put is your choice so why continue to complain? Face the facts that you can either do something about it or not. It is your choice and you have responsibility for your choices.
Successful people take 100% responsibility for the thoughts they think, the images that visualize and the actions they take.
They don’t waste their time and energy blaming and complaining. They evaluate their experiences and decide if they need to change them or not. They face the uncomfortable and take risks in order to create the life they want to live.
Taking responsibility requires you to first decide to believe that you create all your experiences. Second, to pay attention to yourself, your behavior, and your life experiences. And last, to face the truth and deal with what is not working in your life. You have to be willing to change your behavior if you want a different outcome. You have to be willing to take the risks necessary to get what you want.
Isn’t it a great relief to know that you can make your life what you want it to be? Isn’t it wonderful that your successes do not depend on someone else?
Commit to taking 100% responsibility for your every aspect of your life. Decide to make changes, one step at a time. Once you start the process, you’ll discover it is much easier to get what you want by taking control of your thoughts, your visualizations, and your actions!
JR Sangiuliano: Broker/Owner CENTURY 21 JRS Realty Clark & Rahway New Jersey800-831-0681 http://www.c21jrs.com/ E-mail C21JRS72@aol.com

Monday, June 2, 2008

6 Steps to Success: Mastering the Creative Process

6 Steps to Success: Mastering the Creative Process
Have you ever marveled at the incredible creative and productivity of successful people? Those individuals that I have most admired were exceptional achievers, all of them successful by any standard. There was one characteristic in common, they all mastered the creative process.
This series of articles explores the 6 milestones that I have identified make up the creative process. These steps are repeatable and can be applied to any situation, goal or dream you want to achieve. Go ahead; follow these steps to your wildest dreams. Your success is only limited to what you can imagine.
Step 1 The Creative Mindset - Positioning yourself for the creative process Step 2 Conceptualize - Creating, processing and prioritizing your ideas
Step 3 Visualize - Turning your ideas into virtual reality
Step 4 Strategize - Laying out your road map from here to there
Step 5 Exercise - Organizing, executing and practicing self-discipline
Step 6 Materialize - Accepting the reality of success

Step 1 THE CREATIVE MINDSET Left side vs. right side
Science has long established that the human brain has a right and left sphere; logic is processed in the left and emotions and the creative in the right. Science may be correct but for years, society has sadly catalogued us as right or left brained, adding to perceived limitations. The truth is both sides of the brain are engaged when we employ the creative process.
So, to fully master the creative process we must first condition both sides of the brain. This means we must recondition emotional issues, reprogram preconceptions and prejudices, not accept our logic as absolute; in other words erase the bad tapes. Unless we have a concrete point of reference, it is human nature to posture events in a negative context.
Take our perception of failure. Generally, failure is taken as one’s inability to succeed at a given activity, so most folks simply stop trying when they meet the first failure. That is the right side of the brain talking. From that point on, logic (left side) will defer to the emotional (right side) and shut down that creative process in step 5 (Exercise). Too often, this is because earlier steps in the process were ignored or jumped.
You want your ideas and concepts to be fresh and untainted as you ready for the process.
At this point move your mental gears to neutral.
Conditioning both sides
It is important to recognize that the creative process incorporates both sides of the brain at different steps and to different degrees during the process.
When you follow these steps to the creative process, you are training the full brain to work in harmony, maximizing the strengths of each side at the most opportune time, for the most critical tasks. This will create accord not discord. By engaging both sides in a coordinated effort you will have clearer vision, greater momentum and stay on your course.
Clear the Computer
There are many ways to practice the process of clearing the mind, some use mediation others physical exercise. Use whatever suites your constitution and makeup.
When you clear you mind and logically layout the steps prior to launching your project, you give both your logical and emotional process a reference point to measure progress, control reactions and exercise sound judgment.
Best of all, this step makes room to develop and maintain a healthy prospective.
At this point move your mental gears from neutral to forward.
Congratulations, you are now ready to fully engage the creative process

Congrats to Punit Shah Agent of the Month


Punit Shah Agent of the Month of MAy

Congratulations the Punit Shah as he is the Agent of the month of May for 2008 in CENTURY 21 JRS Realty. Punit has been working very hard in 2008 and the pieces of the puzzles finally all came together. Punit registered 3 listings and 3 sales in the Month of May to earn the honor of agent of the month. With more than 3 years experience in this industry Punit has the knowledge and work ethic to rise about the present market trends, and help sellers and buyer achieve their dreams. We are very proud of Punit for his accomplishments and CENTURY 21 JRS Realty is honored to have him as a member of their family. For more information on Punit or any other CENTURY 21 JRS Realty agent please visit http://www.c21jrs.com/ or for information on owning a home or selling your existing home in the Union, Middlesex, Essex, or Bergen County areas please feel free to Call 1-800-831-0681 or E-mail the Broker at C21JRS72@aol.com.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

5 new rules for home sellers

5 new rules for home sellers

Rule 1: Get real about price
Too many sellers set their price based on yesterday's market. Big mistake. "The first buyers in tend to pay the best price, so you need to price it right at the start," says Pamela Liebman, CEO of the Corcoran Group brokerage.
Have three area brokers prepare what's called a comparable market analysis. It will list asking and selling prices of similar homes, as well as amenities and sizes. If there's little inventory in your price range, list for what others are asking. If a lot of homes like yours are on the market, then look to generate buzz, says Liebman.
Set an asking price 10% below what homes like yours have been selling for. That raises the odds of your getting multiple offers. If your market is really frozen and you need to drop the price, make one large cut. No baby steps.
Rule 2: Vet your agent - especially if it's you
Selling on your own in an unprecedented slowdown means you'll have to work awfully hard marketing your home. If you aren't prepared for that, hire a broker. Avoid newbies. You want an agent who has been through good times and bad and who has a track record that you can verify with clients.
Rule 3: Pimp your house - hire a home stager
To sell today, you've got to glam up your home. A stager will help get rid of clutter (especially clutter you don't see); rearrange furniture to create attractive focal points; redo underused rooms, turning, say, that makeshift bedroom in the basement into a rec room; and pick paint and curtains that make rooms appear spacious. A consultation may run $200. Completing the plan could cost $1,000 or more. It's worth it.
Rule 4: Cash will make your home look even better
Given the number of listings out there, you want to throw in a little something extra to make your house catch the eye of buyers and their agents. Rather than hand out a cruise or a car - skeptics might wonder why you're so desperate -offer something that will make your home more affordable, such as paying part of the buyer's closing costs.
In the multiple-listing service description of your house that agents can see, let them know you're offering a $1,000 bounty or a 4% commission to the one who brings in the purchaser. It will mean more knocks on your door.
Rule 5: Underwater? Learn to swim
If you're a recent buyer, your mortgage may well top what your home would go for today. About a third of those who bought last year or in 2006 now have negative equity, according to Zillow.com. If a job or family issue compels you to move, your options aren't great, but you have a few. First, you may be able to persuade your new employer to make you whole on the loan. Second, if the rental market in your area is strong (as is the case in many spots that were healthy but not overly bubbly during the boom), you can become a landlord and wait out the slump. Third, of course, is to sell for as much as you can (see Rule No. 1) and raid your savings for the difference. Short sales, in which the bank agrees to take less than it's owed and release you from your debt, get a lot of media attention. That doesn't mean they're easy to come by. A bank usually will consider one only if you're at risk for foreclosure. Even then it may say, "No, thanks."