Are you wrestling with making 2017 New Year’s resolutions? How do you set goals you can actually make happen?
Setting new goals is important. It doesn’t matter whether you are still hoping to get started in real estate, or you are doing 100 deals a year; you’ve got to be shooting for something. Yet, we all know the cliché example of how gym memberships surge at the beginning of January, and then attendance plunges within a matter of days. So, how do you actually design ‘resolutions’ you will achieve?
Now is the Time
Now is a good time to resolve to change things and achieve more. Yet, we’ve got to design it in a way that we’ll stick to it, make it work, and make a difference.
Do take some time out this season to think about what you really want. What do you want to change in the next year? Then tackle it differently than you have with flaky New Year’s Resolutions of the past.
The common problem is that there is no thought put into them. There is no real desire, passion, heart, commitment, and definitely no plan. People typically make up a resolution out of peer pressure or because they think it is something they should do. So, they pick from a handful of go-to, cookie-cutter resolutions. Quit smoking, lose weight, or make a million dollars. You’ll probably hear those a hundred times over if you ask around on New Year’s Eve. Some people are serious about them, and will succeed. That’s not the vast majority.
Instead, really take a minute, or a day, or week out to think. Really dig into what you are passionate about, and can commit to. Be specific, and think more in terms of tangible goals than mere resolutions to give up something.
Success Habits
Brian Tracy says “successful people are simply those with successful habits.” In his new book The Tire Kicker, Fuquan Bilal says we’ll be most successful at achieving our goals not by focusing on what we want to quit, but by implementing good habits. For example; if you want to lose weight you focus on drinking ten glasses of water a day, and going for a walk or run. So, for real estate investors wanting to increase their deal flow in 2017 it may be making 5 offers per day. It is also far easier to go from zero to making 5 offers tomorrow, than it is to $100M in closings.
Creating an Action Plan
So instead of making some vague half-hearted resolutions this year, what will be most effective is creating an action plan. Revisit your ultimate goals. Be specific about what you want. Then work backwards to identify individual actions you need to take to get there. Get really small. What tasks will you do tomorrow and next week to carry you to where you want to go? The more bite-sized they are, the more likely you are to complete them. Then the more things you can check off your list, the more confident you will become. This will keep propelling you forward. In fact, in his book Before Happiness, author Shawn Achor reveals the scientific data that shows the closer we perceive we are to success, and the easier we make the steps, the more likely we are to succeed.
So, create an action plan. Have fun with it. Then blow it up and hang it on your wall, make it your screen saver, create notifications on your phone to keep you on task and on target. Then this time next year you’ll be eagerly looking forward for making new resolutions and creating a new plan to do even more of what you love most!
