By: Lee Davenport, Ph.D
I hope this year is off to a great start!
If you’re reading this and your answer is, “Ummm… not quite” or if you’re feeling like you could already use a re-do, it might be time for a bit of self-coaching.
Honest reflection is a great way to assess where you’re at, where you want to be in business and how to get there. It gives you some accountability, and it provides a roadmap so you can see exactly what’s been happening and where you need to improve. It also shows you where you’re killing it already!
Why Now: “But I’m Not into Making New Year’s Resolutions”
I get it. Some of you may not give a flying fig about setting new year’s resolutions. That is not what this has to be. (Sidebar: although I must say there is a collective momentum in the air this time of year that is unmatched and may inspire those of us that thrive off group accountability). I’m looking at you “Stable Mable,” which is what I call those with the DISC predominant personality of Steady.
Prior to tax season, and awards season getting into full swing, there is nothing like the start of the year to really assess how your previous year ended. Another good reason to do so is that typically we start planning for the year ahead in October through November of the previous year. While that’s important and necessary, there are often deals still pending, so we make projections based on those final deals. January is a great time to recalibrate with actual numbers to see the full picture. Then, you can figure out what needs to stay the same and what needs to change.
Personal Accountability: Questions to Coach Yourself
Start taking stock of your business by asking yourself some questions. Remember to be honest with yourself. These questions will provide you with a roadmap so long as you’re willing to be objective with yourself.
What to Do Once You’ve Answered These Questions
Now, take those answers and either add them to your monthly (weekly or daily) calendar alerts (the pings and dings of my iPhone keep me on track) or write them on a visible calendar to help you keep these at the center of your daily business activities. In other words, please review these answers often to focus your thinking. We can get off track, and that’s okay. That’s how life and business work! Adding reminders for ourselves will keep bringing us back to the goals at hand. That way you are taking agency of your calendar instead of letting apathy, client crisis, the (necessary) day-to-day minutiae of sales and marketing or anything else hijack your strategy to get and stay off the “sales rollercoaster”… you know that horrible business ride that has the high of deals than the low of hearing crickets (some call this “feast or famine.”)
Make a plan to take action as well. Is there something that needs to change in your business so you can reach the level of success that you want? You have the information in front of you now, which is a great start, but it can’t end there. Figure out how to move toward your goals by creating small action steps that’ll get you there.
Remember: You Can Do This Anytime
But is January the only time to do this kind of business assessment? I would not be an international coach if I said it was. For my clients, we recalibrate at least monthly (and sometimes weekly for those who want that level of accountability). Now more than ever, constant recalibration is necessary given the market shifts over the last three years (but really, since “The Great Recession” began back in 2008). I have found that if we have a habit—James Clear calls them “Atomic Habits”—of aligning our business goals with our actual activities and results at least monthly, it is easier to stay off what I call the sales rollercoaster.
Dr. Lee Davenport is an Atlanta-based real estate coach who trains agents, teams, brokerages, and other business organizations on how to use today’s technology to work smarter. Join Lee’s free RE Tech Insider’s Club by visiting www.LearnWithLee.REALTOR.
This content was originally published here.
