10.23.2008

Easy vs. Simple

Recent events in my professional life have led me to contemplate the critical distinction between Easy and Simple.

Anyone who is a parent can probably remember a half dozen instances per day in which their kids try to do something the easy way, and they wind up having to go back and do it over again... whether it be math homework done sloppily so the child can fly out the door to play with friends, making a bed by just pulling up the bed spread and leaving the sheets (and sometimes clothes, toys and other stuff) hidden underneath, or the famous jamming of all the toys under the bed or into closets, instead of putting them where they really belong.

Naturally, this EASY and immediate solution gave each of us as children something my Dad used to call Instant Gratification. The problem of course arrived when once we had been discovered, and you got that call at your friends house when the ill fated announcement came from your friend's mother: "Jake - your mom just called... you need to go home."

Weren't those the longest walks across the street? I have to laugh remembering those times... knowing I was done for, and feeling pretty queezy as I opened the front door.

I have had more than my fair share of long walks back across the street, both as a child and as an adult - in my personal life and in business.

There are other types of long walks aren't there?

Remember breaking that special something that your dad had told you a dozen times was NOT a toy? Or getting into trouble because you were goofing off and your brother got hurt, and even though it really was just an accident, you are going to have to face the music?

We all have to face the music... and on the surface it is never EASY, right? Maybe...

I hope that this post is as much or MORE for me than any reader... but it seems to me that some lessons we can glean from a lifelong worth of evidence is that most of the time, the EASY WAY is pretty hard in the long run... and that really, the RIGHT way might require more work, but is usually SIMPLE.

Simply clean your room like your parents asked you to, and do it right - and be done. SIMPLE.

OR

Jam your clothes, toys, books and junk under your bed or in closets and drawers... leave the house 15 minutes sooner... pretty EASY... until you get called home in 30 minutes and have to start over, and now you can't play anymore. HARD.

In my own real estate dealings, I have certainly been guilty of the same faults.

In 2003 to 2007 it was EASY to gather "investors" together who could use their credit and little or no money to build homes on spec. Many of these investors were requesting to do 2, 3 or 5 homes at a time.

I had long lines of people ready, willing, and anxious to participate in building homes we could sell and split profits. At the time, we imposed what I allowed myself to believe were "standards" of integrity. (Only 1 owner occupied home at a time for our building clients, requiring clients to review and sign all bank draws, all checks from banks cut directly to subs instead of to our company, blah, blah, blah.)

Growth as a home builder in Utah was EASY. We promptly grew from a few homes per year (built with an artistic eye and a personal passion of my own for quality and stylistic consistency) to 20 to 30 homes going all the time.

Allow me to point out for the sake of the soap box that I was working very hard through all of this... at no point was my job EASY, it was hard work! But, today... with the benefit of perspective it was hard work that came too EASY. Too few of our homes had committed buyers. Too many of the Realtors we employed were similarly addicted to the EASY way (stick a sign in the yard and wait for the paycheck).

In the end, Wallstreet has told the tale of the result of EASY STREET.

The story does NOT end with Wallstreet.

The story ends when my son stops pulling his bedspread over his sheets instead of really making his bed. It ends when he musters up the courage to tell me he got carried away and scribbled crayon all over his sisters wall.

For me the story ends when I look at myself and decide to do things RIGHT and SIMPLE, and stop looking for EASY.

EASY today is "Blame the Economy", "Blame the Builder", "Blame the Banks", or "Blame Everybody". I have lived the story of the current economy first hand. It is very EASY to get lots of sympathy in the current market.

I have personally witnessed countless stories of grown men and women tell about all of their business knowledge and experience, and how much knowledge they have about Real Estate, economy, and investing... and 1 year later, these same people blame their Builder (in some cases me), the Realtor, the Appraiser, the Bank, the subs, everybody. It is so EASY to blame... but so hard to learn real lessons.

By no means is it SIMPLE or EASY to take responsibility when the ship is taking on water, headed into a storm, and the crew is bailing... but I have found peace in RESPONSIBLE.

Your feedback is welcomed.

This post would not be complete if I did express gratitude to & honor several individuals who, despite terribly frustrating and life altering circumstances brought to pass by the events described above, whether as home owners or speculative investors maintained professionalism and set an example for me of taking personal responsibility: D.&C. B., D.&M. M., C.&K. F., B.B., D.B., J.H., B.G., K.&A. K., M.&S. R., S.&C. T., M.&B. D., J.&A. A., R.A., R.&L. J., D.H., B.H., R.H., K.C., B.&B. B., R.H., and others.

I want you all to know that I wake up everyday and go to work, doing my best to be my best, and some of the best experiences I have had have been your quiet votes of confidence, well wishes, forgiveness and understanding. I wish it had gone differently for all of us.

My truest wish for all of us, for myself and my children is that we can seek and find happiness, and never stop learning or getting better. Keep life simple - but not EVER settle for going the EASY WAY.

No comments:

Post a Comment