Plan Your Year, Then Work Your Plan!

Utilize annual business planning as a tool to define and reach your income goals.

Unless your are different from most agents I know you approach the annual goal setting and business planning with dreading. Maybe because of the fear of accountability, maybe because the goal setting session brings your wishful hopes down to earth. Maybe it makes you realize the amount of work needed to reach your goals. Even so, we still go through the process. We go through the trouble of calculating the income goal, the number of transactions needed to reach the goal etc.

Sometimes we get motivated and get ready to dive in head first into the execution of our plan. What happens next? Consistently year in and year out 20% of the agents end up doing 80% of all the business that’s being done. Depending on which group you fall into, it can be guessed with a high predictability whether you followed your business plan or not.

So why do so many goals and business plans stay on the paper? What happens to the initial excitement? And how can we make changes to ensure we end up in the top 20% in the coming year? To begin with, it’s a one of the most common human tendencies to get distracted and fall back into the old habits. In fact, unless you have a daily system for working your plan, you are likely to get sidetracked within a couple of months.

Don’t get discouraged. If you are really WILLING and COMMITTED to working your plan there are a number of ways of staying on top of it.

Keep your goals and plan in sight. Constantly. I believe number one mistake we make is filling out the plan then setting it aside somewhere. What good is your plan if you don’t know what’s in it? Sure, you can try to rely on your memory, but that won’t serve you well. First and foremost, keep your goals in front of you. Utilize all the methods you can think of to achieve this. Post them on your mirror, on your car dashboard, at your desk. Why not utilize technology too? Create recurring calendar events in your phone that would pop up several times a day to remind you of your goals. Let them be the message on your morning alarm.

One of the most effective unconventional ways of staying reminded of your goals is by recording yourself reading them. But don’t just read them as text. Read the goals as if though you’ve already reached them. Don’t shy away from using past tense. Color your voice with faith and enthusiasm. If you let your friends listen to this recording will they have any doubt that your goals have already come to reality? That’s the kind of recording you want to listen to every night before going to sleep. What’s the point? You give your subconscious mind some delicious food to feed on while you’re asleep. It goes to work on coming up with ideas and plans on how to bring that food to your table. I promise, if you try this method for 30 days in succession you will witness some incredible changes in your awareness and your life. Last week I was listening to one of my recordings from earlier this year and I couldn’t tell whether it was before reaching my goal or after. I had to check the recording date and it turned out to be a month before the goal came to actual reality. Pretty amazing feeling!

Take a goal directed action every day. No matter how often you see your goals and plan, no matter how much you believe in them, nothing can come to life without action on your part. Your annual business plan should be your guide for the general direction of your actions (phone calls, emails, social media, open houses etc.). But your daily plan should tell you WHO to call, WHAT to email, WHAT to post, WHERE to hold a productive open house. Make it a point to take at least 1 action EACH DAY that could bring you closer to your goals. It goes without saying that the more action the better. There are 2 major reasons for this. One, an action can create a new opportunity. Two, and this one is much more important, it will develop into a HABIT. When the daily action becomes a habit you can go on autopilot. You will now be flying towards your goals.

Course-correct quarterly. Right now, in the beginning of the year set in your calendar one day at the end of each quarter to revisit your goals, hold yourself accountable for results, actions and make changes if necessary. Are you on track to reach your goals? What’s working well? What isn’t? What can you do to improve and enhance your plan? These questions will help you make necessary adjustments. The accountability sessions will also let you measure your personal and professional growth in the preceding quarter.

Stay motivated. The best kind of motivation I know of is self motivation. Motivation is derived from your motive. Why have you set the goals you’ve set? What is behind your desire to make money? Is it providing a better lifestyle for you and your family? Is it the desire to be successful? Is it the prestige and recognition? Increase in self worth? Whatever your motive is, keep referring back to it. Being mindful of your motive will provide you with the energy and willpower to persevere. Use outside influences as well for keeping your motivation high. Attend events at HRRA, watch motivational seminars on YouTube, read self-help books or listen to audiobooks. It’s incredible how many audiobooks you can finish by just utilizing your commute time in the car.

Sprint to the finish. If you followed the first 4 steps then by the 4th quarter you should be pretty close to reaching your goals. Don’t slow down, speed up! Having a strong finish to the year will set you up for a successful 2019. Acknowledge your accomplishments, congratulate yourself and celebrate big when your reach your goals!

Happy goal chasing!