Plan, Prep and Get After It!

Plan, Prep & Get After It!

by J'aime Nowak | Buffini & Company Director of Corporate Development and Training

With each and every day, you have a fresh opportunity to start—or continue the momentum of—your best year yet. Just take a moment to imagine the next 12 months as a blank slate to be filled with your goals, aspirations and endless possibilities. This mindset doesn’t have to be tied to New Year’s resolutions; truly, it can fuel your success all year long.

Now, to really harness this phenomenon, I’m going to share three key practices that will help you create your very best year. Although they are simple in theory, they are not common in practice. If you want success, happiness and fulfillment you’re going to have to plan, prepare and get after it.

1. Plan for it

Make your next calendar year everything it can be. Start by taking a look at where you are now. Are your goals the same as last year? Or have they changed? Don’t get stuck in a rut. Out with the old…if necessary. Shake up the status quo. Close your eyes, stifle any negative thoughts or objections and think unlimited. What do you want to have, do, become or change?

Ask yourself, “What do I really want for my life? What is the vision I have for my company? Have I been settling for less?” There’s no better time than today to get focused on, and excited about, the dreams and desires you have for each area of your life.

Says Gloria Steinem, “Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”

Write down all your thoughts and then zero in on, and prioritize, at least one goal for each of the “five circles:” your spiritual life, family life, business life, financial life and personal life.

2. Prepare for it

Next up, let’s get after the mindset it’s going to take to focus on your goals and dreams, and make them real. The number one way to accomplish this is to commit to the few. We’ve all heard the adage, “Jack of all trades, master of none,” and it absolutely applies in the work and life of a leader.

This industry can sweep us up into its chaos. Urgent matters, stressed out buyers and sellers, and daily fires pull us away from the things we know we need to do to make the economic bell ring in our organization. If you want to achieve at the highest level in all areas of your life, choose wisely and do fewer things well.

Determine what the top priorities are for you and then schedule and protect them. Have a laser-like focus on the things that will rock your mission! You can’t do everything—we’ve all been on that hamster wheel. Think again about having that blank slate—then fill it with the things that matter personally and professionally.

When running my real estate company, my top three priorities were: engagement and development of agents, healthy growth and financial management. When I consistently carved out time in my schedule to make sure the activities associated with these priorities happened, my agents were happy and productive, my recruiting pipeline was full, and both our environment and our bottom line were thriving. Please remember, you have the authority and the power to design your own day. This is in the best interest of you, your family, your agents, your ability to generate money for your business, and your goals and dreams. Make the decision. What’s it going to be?

3. Get after it

Once you’ve decided on your most important activities, you must take the next step and manage your decisions by taking action consistently. Having an incredible year is not based on one huge quantum leap in most cases. Small steps every day lead to great things. The daily choices we make are the true cornerstone of achievement. “There is no elevator to success…you have to take the stairs,” said the great Zig Ziglar.

First things first here…you have to take care of the golden goose for your business, which is you! For many of us, taking care of ourselves is the first thing that gets cut out of our day. We need to reverse that thinking—and that order. Flip it around and start your day with some quiet time or heart pumping cardio. A brisk 20-minute walk makes a great difference in your energy levels and vitality. Eat more veggies and fruit as you go. Jim Rohn said, “They say ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’… what if they’re right?”

Create small blocks of time throughout the week for family dinners, grandkids’ soccer games, calling a loved one and taking time to nurture the really important relationships in your life. And then add in healthy business growth activities like sales and marketing, and agent development and retention.

Doing this is critical for achieving long-term business success. Take action on those things you’ve decided are crucial for you. Make them non-negotiable and do your best. You and your business are worth it. Once you’ve gone through this process, bring your agents through it as well, and fire up the troops for a great year ahead!

You’ve got this. Your goals and dreams are waiting. Just about everything you want in business and life is available to you if you’ll dream and plan; prepare and decide; and then get out there and make it happen!

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