REAL ESTATE AGENT NEWS

Making Resolutions vs. Finding Solutions

By: Julie Escobar

Small but mighty strategies for making THIS New Year your best

Old traditions abound as people far and wide chose how they would say goodbye to our old year and usher in a new last month.

From midnight kisses and anxiously awaited football games to good luck “charms” such as eating black-eyed peas or wearing red, a common thread among many cultures is the making of new year resolutions. Making them STICK however is far more daunting a task than actually writing out your ‘to-do’ list.

The solutions vary widely, but those that I have known to have the most success in sticking to resolve have always adopted the “keep it simple” philosophy. Let’s take a look at some of the small but mighty strategies top producers use to make each New Year a joy to welcome and each resolution an opportunity for greatness:

1. Be specific. Hands down, across the board this tip seems to be the all time favorite. Why? You can’t accomplish ‘vague.’ For example, “lose weight,” “make more money,” or “be a better friend,” are all fine, just not quantifiable. How much weight and by when? How much money and by when? How will you be a better friend? More than resolutions, what you need as you commit to yourself, your family and your business are detailed goals with specific deadlines.

2. Make them attainable. Fast-tracking the success of any goal can and does boil down to attainability. Goals should be a stretch for you but not so far over the top that you set yourself up for failure. To say you will go from zero sales to top producer in the next six months, or that you’ll lose 100 pounds in the next 12 weeks is a quick way to deflate your motivation and break your resolve. Instead, break your goals up into smaller sized bites so that you begin to feel those successes. Success fuels success. Take your dreams and goals and convert them to daily ATTAINABLE activities that and mark off your milestones as you go. For example if your goal is to lose 25 pounds in the next six months, that’s just a little better than four pounds a month or burning (or eliminating) 500 calories per day. That’s attainable. If your goal is to build a better sales business, you may adopt the work ethic of top producers who statistically get more than 65% of their business from the sphere of influence by staying in monthly contact. If you have 100 people in your sphere now, that breaks down to just a little better than three customers a day you can “touch” either by sending something, by phone or in person. That’s attainable. If you need to build your sphere by 100 people this year to reach your goal, you’ll need to add just two people per week over the next 12 months. That’s attainable!

3. Make them real. One important key to realizing your goals is to make them real to you and the best way to do that is to start by writing them down and creating a “visual” that you can use as a daily reminder of what you want to accomplish. For example if a new car is your goal for the year, write everything about the car of your dreams. Go to the dealership and test drive it, get the feel and smell of that new car and the brochure so that you can cut the photo out and hang it where you’ll see it every day. If a family vacation is what will motivate you this year, take a trip to the travel agent and gather everything there is to know about your vacation destination. Write it out and capture the pictures. Where will you go and for how long and what will you do when you are there? You might be surprised just how many people at the top of their game keep a “vision board” at their desk, in their office, or even where they get dressed each day. Tacked to these boards are visual reminders of all they intend to accomplish that keep those goals fresh and real each and every day. It’s a powerful way to infuse your life with the affirmations that will help you succeed.

4. Don’t keep it a secret! Accountability is more often than not the driving force behind successfully reaching your goals. Having a mentor, spouse, co-worker or network of people you can count on to help you stay true to your resolutions is vital, especially when life gets hectic and days get long. There is no room for “yes-men” when it comes to choosing an accountability partner or partners either. You need those people around you who will tell you honestly when you are veering off track and help you once again focus on what needs to be done. The great thing about these kind of partnerships is how very much they can enrich your life and your career. Instead of feeling like you’re on your own, you’ll find that while you are holding each other accountable for daily or weekly tasks, you’re also seeking out new and inventive ways to help the other person reach their goals.

5. Get help and use resources. In our rapidly changing market and economy, you’ll find the most successful people in the world are rarely “one-man-shows.” Networking, mentoring and systemizing are crucial components to realizing your dreams and keeping your sanity! Re-inventing the wheel just doesn’t make sense when those who have gone before you have not only crafted the wheel but forged the path. Automate your marketing, utilize the reminders and alarms on your customer management system, find an accountability partner or mentor and school yourself via books, courses, articles or the internet at least once a month. Use these solutions to boost your resolutions as you make your way through the first quarter and beyond. Know we’ll be right here as a resource you can count on.

Consistently succeeding in the business of sales means staying focused, constantly arming yourself with the right tools for the right situations and putting systems in place that will help you manage your time and customer foundation. Resolve this year to do just that by adopting these simple solutions for success. I wish you a safe and prosperous new year!