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Here’s a simple way to invest in property: create art, then share it.

Write a poem, compose a song, paint a picture, sculpt a statue.

It will take practice, patience, self awareness, and showing up each day. You may feel frustrated, uncomfortable, afraid, excited, accomplished, acknowledged, soothed and a host of other emotions.

You will exercise your mind, convey a message, create something from your unique perspective, and share a small piece of yourself.

And you will own a piece of intellectual property.

Do this enough and you may own a small neighborhood.

One day the market in your neighborhood may even start to rise.

All you have to do is begin.

If you want a useful restaurant recommendation it’s important to ask someone you trust and make sure they know you’re lactose intolerant, love spicy food, and will be in New York City in May.

Most people do the opposite when they ask questions at work: it’s more like they’re asking their best friend where to get dinner tonight – there’s a lot that doesn’t need to be said and pre-existing knowledge and experience with exactly this problem.

At work this method causes back and forth, even more email, and extra time.

When asking for help from busy people, or from people who’s attention is important to you, don’t overlook asking your question directly and don’t forget to give them the information they need. That will help them help you fastest.

This is also why people prefer handling things over the phone or in person – it ensures they can have an efficient conversation, help decipher next steps, and move on (and have a trimmer inbox to boot).

If you provide a service, you can’t tell your buyer how important your relationships are and then demand something unreasonable from them when your supplier puts pressure on you.

Because then what you’re saying is “my supplier relationships are important, and my relationship with my buyers can be sacrificed because without my supplier, I have nothing to offer.” This of course makes no sense because without buyers, your suppliers will be out of business.

The hard part about partnerships isn’t when two sides are at odds, it’s when business priorities are at odds with business promises.

In those cases it’s critical to consider what your objectives are, and what promises you’re making to everyone, and then evaluate what being a good partner means.