Drive your car looking through the windshield…not the rear view mirror.
Too many business people look at the past to make future business decisions. The challenge with the past is that it is not always how we want it to be. Here are some things that we will see in our past.
1. Massive decline of our local real estate market
2. Clients who have gone to foreclosure
3. Clients who have went bankrupt
4. Friends who have lost their jobs
5. Agents who have lost significant amounts of income
6. Real Estate companies that have failed to survive
If you want to make 2012 your best year ever then you must start looking to the future. The future can be whatever you choose it to be. The key is to CHOOSE your future versus having the past choose it for you.
Once you make your choice…make a commitment to make it happen.
The following are things you can choose for your future:
1. Sharp increase in production no matter what happens in this market
2. Assist homeowners in avoiding a foreclosure when they have other options.
3. Become a better trained more informed business person
4. Have fun working in real estate
5. Grow your customer base by 30%
6. Set a goal, commit and execute.
The best strategy for success is to CHOOSE it. Remember, success is in the future…you will not find it by dwelling on the past.
Be your vision NOW…why wait?
There is a big difference in a Goal and a Vision. Let me explain, “A goal is something that you will experience the benefits from some day in the future,” and “A vision is something that you will experience now.”
You may have to read this a few times yet once you grasp this concept, it can transform your life. Too many business people set goals that they never reach therefore they never experience the joy and since of accomplishment that they are seeking. They are typically more present to disappointment then they are happiness. The key is to visualize what you want, set an execution plan to attain it and experience the joy of success as if it has already happened. If you want to be a champion then dress like a champion. As soon as you dress like a champion then you will began to feel like a champion. The following is a real example of how this works.
I have a daughter who chose to dress up like a Princess one day. Once she dressed up in her Princess attire, I noticed how she started taking on the characteristics of a Princess. She danced like she visualized a princess would dance. She would sing like a Princess would, she walked and waved a wand just like she thought a real Princess would have.
Here is the point…My daughter visualized herself as a Princess and she experienced what it was like to be that Princess. If she would have set the goal of being a Princess one day in the future, she would not have had that experience that day. She would have had that experience some day in the future and that future may have never come.
Conduct a Stop Watch Test
In order to succeed in today’s economy you must be a harder worker. The days of coming into the office and hanging out are over. Too many people are in survival mode therefore they are working hard to compete for the business. Those that are taking it easy are getting less every day. As a real estate coach, I have agents telling me they work hard every day. They swear by their work ethic.
The best thing you could do for your self is to actually monitor how much of your day is consumed by productive activity versus non productive activity. Do the following…Take a stop watch and time how much time you append on each activity throughout the day. Track this for one week. Be honest with yourself at the end of the week and calculate how much of your time was spent doing things that will create new business for yourself. Most of us will find that we spend too much time putting out fires instead of creating new business.
Be Accountable
We all know that the real estate business is an individual type of business. This is one of the reasons why we chose the real estate business and it is also why so many agents fail.
The top agents around the country are in an environment that promotes success. They focus on learning new skills, working a business plan and being held ACCOUNTABLE.
Working a plan to grow your business is like working a plan to lose weight. It always takes longer then we hoped and it is MUCH easier when we are doing it with a partner. If you are serious about increasing your income through more production then you have to be held accountable. Find a partner and hold each other accountable for the activities that are necessary to fulfill your vision and ultimately lead you to your goal.
Final Thoughts
I will keep this very simple…2010 will be your best year ever when you follow these four points.
1. Forget the past – choose your future
2. Be your vision instead of waiting for your goals.
3. Invest your time wisely
4. Be accountable
I wish every one of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I am going to make 2010 my best year ever and I remain committed to helping you do the same. I hope that each if you will do the same. As local Realtors, we must do our part in assisting those in need of conducting a real estate transaction. I hope that you find my article helpful and it leads to a difference in your year.
Greg Harrelson
gregharrelson@gmail.com
