Tthis reprint of an article was written for Real Estate Professionals, but it could apply to any career. I thought you would enjoy reading it and benefit from it as much as I did. I know that I have see myself making some of the same mistakes when it comes to the amount of time I spend on my computer without accomplishing anything. Reading and going through unnecessary email is one way to waste time on your computer or mobile devices.

12 Career Sabotaging Mistakes

Real estate professionals are out there each day sabotaging their own careers, maybe not intentionally, but knowingly, said Joe Meyer, GRI.

Meyer, an international speaker and a REALTOR® for more than 30 years, educated approximately 200 real estate professionals in a session, “The Dirty Dozen: 12 Career Sabotaging Mistakes,” during the 2008 REALTOR® Conference & Expo last week.

“No one says ‘today I am going to fail,’” he said, but he notes there are daily activities ranging from bad habits to time management that are to blame for many real estate career’s going South. He said he often hears too many excuses, particularly for making listing appointments.

Time management is one of the major culprits holding real estate pros back. For example, too many people spend an inordinate amount of time on the computer or their Blackberry, he said.

“We suffer from paralysis analysis,” he said, noting what real estate professionals are really doing is avoiding things they need to do, such as prospecting. Personally, he said, he gets on the computer, gets off, and moves on with his life.

“I don’t have a Treo,” he admitted to the crowd. “I don’t have a Duo or a Solo either.”

He also believes you should set your goals high, be specific, and write them down. He cites a Harvard study that found those who had specific goals earned three times more than fellow graduates; those who wrote them down earned 10 times more.

The Dirty Dozen Mistakes

Here are Meyer’s Dirty Dozen that may be hindering your real estate career:

1. More excuses than appointments.
2. Inefficient systems (prospecting, follow up, listing presentations).
3. Lack of motivation and healthy attitude.
4. Poor time management skills.
5. Poor goal planning.
6. No commitment to education.
7. Not practicing skills (including presentation dialogues, scripts, body language and tonality).
8. Failing to communicate.
9. Not presenting “best” image.
10. Not managing the business like a business.
11. Letting fears get in the way (such as rejection).
12. Not having fun!