Going up...going down...going nowhere fast

There was only one problem.

Most of the guests complained about the elevator service.

They took too long to arrive.

While you were traveling up and down over as many as 22 floors, the car would often stop and open to nobody. From our 15th floor room, the phantom stops would occur four to five times on most trips.

Our wing of the hotel had two elevators. They were six or seven meters apart as if one was an afterthought. Each elevator had a dispatch button.

Guests, eager to get where they were going, would press both buttons. They'd hop in the first one that arrived. The problem was, of course, that the second elevator would also later arrive. Another phantom stop.

The very people who complained about the elevators were the cause of the problem. Had everyone been willing to push only one of the two buttons, the system would have operated much faster. Most guests seemed completely oblivious. They'd roll their eyes each time the elevator stopped for nobody.

"Stupid elevator."

How often do we get in our own way? How often do we lock onto an idea to our own peril? How often do we rush into sabotaging our own objectives?

In my business, it's common to see people try to take shortcuts. Even clients.

We often see home sellers who want to rush their home to the market. There is no shortage of agents who will accommodate an overnight listing, lest the listing gets away on them.

Listing a home before it's ready is moving fast to slow yourself down.

Start by slowing down.

Plan.

Prepare.

Then list and promote.

You'll get where you want to go faster and with fewer hassles.

The agent you select should have a thoughtful process. That ensures the right things get down, at the right time, for the right result.