Humboldt County Real Estate Blog

Unless you can see them everyday!

Many times I am bombarded by new Realtors who ask me how I have become so successful in my first year in business, in a town where I didn't know anyone, in a market that hasn't exploded yet.

The very first thing I did was write down my goals for the year. I wanted to hit at least $6 million in sales, buy my first new car and be the number 1 Agent in my office of 65. I pasted the #1 on my ceiling so I saw it every morning when I woke up.

One of my good friends made up a strip of paper that broke down the monthly goals that made it seem more attainable. For instance, if your yearly goal is $12,000,000.00 in sales then you should break down your closings  into $2,000,000.00 every month. How many homes would that be in your area? How are you going to get the listings to acheive that goal? How many phone calls are you willing to make per day to those FSBO's and expireds?

Are you willing to step outside your comfort zone to obtain your goals?

What do you want?

• State what you do want, not what you don't. If you don't want X, what do you want instead?
• Be specific. The better you understand how your goal will look, sound, and feel, the more likely you will make it exactly what you want, and the more resources your unconscious mind can muster to help you achieve it.
• Where, when, and with whom do you want your goal? It may be appropriate for some contexts, but not others. Mentally rehearse it to find out.
• What time-frames are involved? How soon do you want to meet your first milestone?
• If you achieve your goal, what will that do for you? And what will having that do for you? Ask these questions several times to uncover what you really value. You might find there are better ways to get what you want than the one you had in mind.

How will you know when you achieve your goal?

• Be specific -- what will you see, hear, and feel? What will you be doing, and what will others notice about you?
• How will you know you're moving toward your goal? What is a small but significant sign you're making progress? Sometimes people achieve a lot without noticing.
• How often will you check your progress?
• Is there more than one way to get what you want?

Is your goal achievable?

• If someone else has done it, then in theory you can do it too. If you are the first, find out if it is possible. This may require doing it! Many important advances were considered "impossible" until someone achieved them, so other people's limits may not fit what you want to do. If your goal is impossible, you may be able to achieve the value of it in another way.
• If the goal seems overwhelming, break it into smaller steps that seem doable. Many times, people try and for very lofty goals and when they don't achieve it, they quit.

Is achieving your goal within your control?

• Make sure your goal reflects things you can directly affect.
• What stops you from having what you want now?

Are the costs and consequences of achieving your goal acceptable?

• Watch a mental movie of yourself achieving your goal. If you have never watched the move, The Secret, I would recommend going to www.TheSecret.tv to see how many of us have been able to keep a mental picture of acheiving our goals.
•  What do you notice from this outside perspective? Step into the experience as if it was happening right now -- how is this different? If your goal is to drive a brand new Chevy truck, go to the dealership and take a test drive. Believe it's already yours! 
• If you could achieve your goal now, would you take it? If not, revise it until it's what you want.

Do you have all the resources you need to achieve your goal?

• What resources do you already have to help you reach your goal? Resources include skills and training, information, attitude, internal emotional state, money, help or support from others, etc.
• What resources do you need, and how can you acquire them?
• What would have to be different for you to have your goal? Be specific.
• Do you want your goal enough to achieve it? If not, what would need to change for you to have that level of motivation?
• Is the first step to achieving your goal specific and achievable?
• What are you already doing to begin or achieve your goal?
• Imagine stepping into the future and having your goal fully. Look back and determine what steps were required to achieve the outcome now that you have it.

By checking your goal carefully, by experiencing it from multiple points of view and from several points in time, you get extra information to help you plan and proceed. You can catch and solve potential problems in your imagination, where it's fast and free. And by rehearsing the future so vividly, you

help yourself create the results you want.