Top 10 Ways to Create the Best Year Ever in 2006
by Joeann Fossland, GRI, LTG, Master Certified Coach - Broker Agent News
While this is a great time to do your business planning for 2006, there are some other important ways you can tweak your personal operating system to bring success to you with less efforting.
Shift some attention from working on the "what" to working on the "who" you are going to be in 2006 and you'll tap into a natural flow of attracting what you want!
1. Right now, visualize your perfect year. Ignore the committee
in your head if they start in about being reasonable or knowing
how. A big goal that excites you in its possibility canget achieved
and is more likely to be fun, stretch your mind, your capabilities
and your thinking. Small goals lead to more-harder-faster
thinking and working, rather than forcing you to do re-design. Think
of transforming yourself into a butterfly instead of becoming a
faster caterpillar.
2. Simplify. What you say no to or let go of could
be the most important decisions to make for the coming year. The
actions that made you successful last year won't yield the same
harvest this year. Markets are changing.
You need to weed the field before planting new ideas. Let go of
the bottom 50% of your marketing efforts if they didn't give solid
results last year and reposition your marketing to the low hanging
fruit. Stop doing things because everyone else is or because you
think the seller expects it. Use your sales skills to educate the
seller to what does work and why.
Make room for the new business. Throw out old stuff. Let go of
the high maintenance, energy vampires. Upgrade your rolodex.
Say No to people and obligations
- the memberships in groups you don't enjoy.
Say No to the things that you
are less than passionate about
3. Continually Raise Your Standards. This is one
of my favorite! While I believe a business plan can be very useful
I see lots of people with plans that are in no way empowered or
excited about their plans. On the other hand, I see successful people
who are solely focused on continually increasing their skills and
value by raising the bar at every opportunity. Each day ask yourself
this question, "How can I do this (whatever process you are
doing) better?" Then implement. Put the change into your systems,
procedures or habits. By consciously watching for opportunities
to excel & do things better, you will find your goals get achieved
in a more relaxed manner. A daily focus on excellence will bring
results beyond what can be planned.
4. Practice Extreme Self Care. The word, "selfish"
has a bad connation in our society. Here's the rub?If you don't
take care of you, there is no golden hen to lay the eggs.
Besides, being in the real estate business is really the ultimate
opportunity to have a life: to go on your
dream trips or spend time with family rather than being an end of
itself. So... what fabulous ways can your pamper & reward yourself
next year? One of my favorite is a monthly "spa day":
Sometimes, I'll go alone and spend the day in reflection and pure
unadulterated relaxation. Sometimes, I'll invite a couple of girlfriends
(why not make it a reward to all who refer to you in that month?).
Either way, it revitalizes me to focus and be super productive afterward.
5. Forgive Someone. Unforgiveness is like swallowing poison, waiting for the other person to die. Leave behind in 2005 any hate or resentment. The energy drain is all within you. It doesn't mean you have to accept what happened was just or right, but it means you will no longer rent that person a piece of your psyche. I do believe everyone is doing the best they can, at all times, given what they perceive.
When I've been treated badly, here's what I do: I disconnect from
my reaction & try to imagine what that person must be "seeing"
to have their stupid action be the right one. I'm able
to be more compassionate or not take it personally or sometimes
even get an insight into a different way of approaching it, when
I try to look through their eyes, instead of gathering evidence
to justify my position. Ultimately, though, whether I can shift
my understanding of it or not, the holding on to it just wastes
my resources. Like a computer with too many programs opened, shutting
some down frees bandwidth! Go forward into 2006, leaving behind
the old stuff!
6. Quit Tolerating. What are you putting up with?
Is it a messy workspace? No Systems? Lack of time or money? People
who suck energy or don't show you the proper respect?
Start 2006 by zapping these tolerations. You get treated the way
you let others treat you. Take Control: It's up to you what you
put up with . Set boundaries with others. Set time
to clean up. Wasting time & energy on the things you can easily
take care of is just plain silly. Hire an organizer if you need
professional help.
7. Practice Gratitude. The amazing wealth that
surrounds most of us gets overshadowed by our longings for what
we don't have yet. What you focus on expands. Each night, write
down 5 things that you have to be grateful for. Your unconscious
brain will take in the abundance and create opportunities for more
of it because of your awareness. If there is more that you want,
being a good steward of what you have already been given will set
the stage for it to get even better.
8. Expand Your Community. Who's part of your team/community?
In 2006, if you expand your team, you'll accelerate your business.
Ask others too help you. People want to contribute! My
Granddaughter, Lily, when shown a finger on each hand asked what
1 plus 1 makes, replied: 11!!!! Tap into the power of master
mind and you too can make 1+ 1=11 instead of 2! Quit trying
to be so darned self-sufficient and include others in your expansion
of your business. Yes, this does mean you will sometimes have to
give up the control freak part of yourself. Can you do it?
9. Pay It Forward. The premise of the novel by
Catherine Ryan-Hyde Pay It Forward is one that any person
can implement in his or her own life, at any time. It begins with
doing a favor for another person - without any expectation of being
paid back. Then make a request that the recipient of that favor
do the same for someone else: ideally for three other people. The
unconditional favors can be large or small. It doesn't have
to be a big thing. Make the world a better place by giving
before you are asked! Here's my challenge to you: take $10 today
& figure out a way to "pay it forward" or increase
its worth to make the MOST difference you can: get it matched, invest
in something that will grow, be creative and ask others to play
with you!
10. Accept The Present is Perfect. Everything is perfect right now. You are alive, you have food & shelter. While everything may not be your preferred state - it is where you are, based on your total life experiences and choices. It is the only place the future can be built from. All of your challenges and road blocks have given you valuable lessons to help with the future. Even if everything in your life isn't your idea of perfect, start to more fully cherish what you do have. Keep that old car absolutely spotless. Use the resources and community that are right under your nose. The acceptance of what is and the letting go of longing about how it should be gives you the place from which to create an incredible future.
Some work on the personal operating system will position you to be all that you can be in 2006! Will you be having your best year ever? I hope so!
Points of Interest:
- How does your eMarketing rate? Take our free assessment
- January 2006 Z-News newsletter
- View Past Newsletters
