This past year has been quite unconventional. If you had to change course on some of your goals, you weren’t alone. Take some time to reflect on this year and all of its ups and downs, but try not to get stuck in that phase. Reflection is a means of moving forward, so channel your 2020 takeaways toward a plan for success in 2021.
Once you’ve reflected, the best way to create your 2021 comeback is to set rock-solid goals. Focus on moving forward and what you want to achieve in the next year. By all means, you should dream a little. Create a vision board or keep a journal with your biggest aspirations in life and where you’d like to end up. But remember that, ultimately, it’s your goals that will take you from dreaming to doing.
An effective goal must be personal to you and life enhancing. It should align with what you really want in life—those dreams on your board or in your journal—instead of what you think you should accomplish. Make it bold, authentic and meaningful so you are more motivated to do the work needed to achieve it. These goals are essential to your success in life and business because they give you something to focus on. It’s a lot easier to endure the rat race when there’s a finish line in sight.
Even though we know that goals are important, planning them is easier said than done. It’s easy to say you want to start your own brokerage some day, but it’s much more difficult to know what you need to do to get there. That’s why the best approach is to break it down into bite-sized, smaller goals—start with 10-day goals, then six-month goals, then one-to-three-year goals.
Determine all the things you need to accomplish before you can meet your end-goal—it might help to work backward on this one. Write those steps down and give yourself a time frame for achieving them. Decide which goals can be done in the next 10 days, six months and even next year. This is going to give you a detailed roadmap showing exactly what you need to do and when in order to achieve that goal.
If this sounds overwhelming at first, take a deep breath. This is a huge process, but it isn’t one that you have to go alone. At the start of any goal-setting journey, it’s essential to seek out an accountability partner, whether that’s a colleague, a mentor or even a real estate coach. This person should not be afraid to hold your feet to the fire to keep you on the right track. They should also be the first to celebrate your wins and achievements along the way. Accountability is the secret ingredient to achieving your goals, so be sure to add this into your mix in 2021.
Instead of dwelling on the past, channel your energy toward creating a better future in 2021! Start planning your goals right now so you can hit the ground running.
For added accountability and goal planning assistance, Buffini & Company offers real estate coaching that keeps agents on the path to success. Sign up for a free business consultation to see what this program can do for you! Visit buffiniandcompany.com for more information.
Photo: iStock.com/DNY59
