As we edge closer to the New Year it is important to reflect on the year you just had. Were you happy with your production and the client care you were able to give your clients or were you spinning your wheels only to find yourself coming up short in the income generation category?

Often real estate agents feel like a whole year has just passed by so quickly with hardly a moment to stop and assess what is affecting their business.

One great way to keep yourself on target is to come up with a word or set of words that sums up what your focus needs to be for the coming year. Every time you feel yourself getting off track you can remind yourself of your “word” and get back on track.

Let’s say you are not earning the income you want to earn and you find yourself floating from one month to another. You know you need to make a change but don’t know where to start. If you chose the word LISTINGS as your theme for the year it would be easy to assess where you are at any given time with your overall plan. Is the action you are taking getting you closer to your goal of getting more listings or further away? Have you improved your listing presentation so you can win when you show up at the listing appointment? Are you doing lead generation activities that focus on getting listings or are you rushing around without a plan and a target?

Perhaps you find that you never have any time for yourself regardless of whether or not you are busy with work. This could be a clear indicator that you have trouble saying no. Perhaps your word for 2017 needs to be NO. This means you have to learn to politely tell people that you are not able to do what they want you to do and then practice building your “No” muscle. Learning to say no is all about learning how to say it. It can be as simple as saying that you would love to participate in the Parent Teaching Meetings but you are already committed for the year but would be happy to revisit it next year. Learning to say no is about speaking your truth and putting yourself and your family first. Just because someone wants you to do something doesn’t mean that you need to do it.

Choosing a word and focusing on that word during the year gives you the gently nudge you need to make small changes when you get off track to get you back on track. What will your word be for 2017? Feel free to share your word below!