I hate writing things down.
Not because I don’t like the act of writing, I think you can all see that pretty clearly. But I admit, I have a bad tendency to write something down, leave it on my desk, and forget about it. Notes to myself, phones numbers, all sorts of things get lost in the shuffle. Not clients or their info or notes about them…those I covet and take care of, but the little notes to get some milk on the way home, to call my friend Jay, to clean my shoes (they need it bad). Those are the things I usually don’t even write down because I forget to go through with the plan. I use my Blackberry a lot for calendar notes, but never for “to do” items. My broker gets on my case constantly about goals and what mine are for the future. My reply is usually “I’m working on them.” I just hate to nail myself down on what I expect of myself in the near future. I’m one of those people that hates to fail and I’m only recently learning to cope with the fact that missing a goal doesn’t necessarily equate to failure.
So in the interest of the forthcoming New Year…
I’ve decided to not only write out my goals, but to make them public. Not only will this force me to make my decisions, but allow me to see what others think of my plan, help me adapt and adjust the plan, and even keep me accountable. I hope you all will keep me accountable and I can’t wait until next year to revisit this post and see how I did. So without further ado…
Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the arrival of my goals.
- I want to lose some weight. I’ve found that being a Realtor® has been bad for the waste line. There’s too many snacks, fast meals, and free food on hand. I have never been much of an exercise guy I admit, but this year, I will try and focus a bit more on it. I have actually joined two other agents in my office in our quest to lose a bit. Friday mornings are weigh-in day.
- I want to close a minimum of 20 transactions next year. I really want to close 30, but I’m trying to keep my goals to a manageable level for now. I would be more than happy to close many more. This goal is not a stopping point, but rather my aiming point.
- I want to complete and expand my website. Its been slow going and I’m terribly frustrated with that fact. I have an ambitious plan for my website’s growth and I’m trying to get it to the point where its growth is what I’m working on, not just the basic building blocks.
- I want to learn more about SEO and learn to write better blog posts, but still within my own style. I don’t want to write just for SEO, but I realize its important and want to work on using it to my advantage a bit more.
- I’m hoping that I’ll get to take a vacation with my wife this year. If I can close 25 transactions, I will be comfortable doing so. We haven’t had one in awhile and she deserves one. She works hard and puts up with me (and that’s not easy!).
- In reaching my transactional goals, I will work to pay down debt that I have incurred over the years. I entered real estate with the goal of a career and a good strong career will allow me to do that.
- I want to continue to refine these goals. So please ask me questions as the months go by.
Your opinion counts.
Remember, I have never written goals. Many of you probably have. Some of you have been around longer that I have been an adult. So I encourage you, no, beg you to help me refine and perfect these goals. Many of you may not realize it, but through this site, you have helped shape me and mold me. I have put in my opinions and thoughts along the way, but many of my core values and decisions in real estate have come through the conversations in these very pages. Now its time to shape some more.
Bill Lublin
December 24, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Matt
Any goals are good to have and yours are certainly attainable and appropriate.
As far as the vacation goes, make it a working vacation and it gets to be deductible. I always attended the NAR convention each year and extended the trip by a day or two so my wife and I could play. There are good educational and networking opportunities, there are often free parties (where your wife is welcome), and they are usually in interesting places. By mising work and pleasure you maximize the opportunity and minimize the expense – Just an idea.
Best wishes for th holidays for your family from mine!
Mark Eibner
December 25, 2008 at 12:16 am
we’re at it again Every good boy deserves fudge…uh, I mean, goals.: Get out of your feed .. https://tinyurl.com/6uhh8z
Missy Caulk
December 25, 2008 at 10:17 am
Matt, good goals and I have been writing mine down for years. It gives me and my TEAM something to shoot for that will push up forward.
One thing I would do is change the first words to I will, not a want.
I also say them out loud quite often and they become my affirmations. When I first start some are just saying them, eventually they get from head to heart and you believe them.
Lani Rosales
December 26, 2008 at 10:36 am
Matt, these are great goals! You want help refining? Okay! I bet you can easily add to them, for example your first goal is weigh-in, surely this involves some dietary changes? You could refine your closing goals by adding a target post-tax, post-expense “salary” for yourself. For your vacation goal, you could set smaller benchmarks like “I will turn the computer off on Sundays” or “We will take a quarterly weekend trip within driving distance” (like to Austin, ahem).
Matt, because I know you I know that you also have networking goals. Not as in “I will meet 5 SEO professionals” but as in “I will expand my network, with a focus on quality connections over quantity” or “I will pick up the phone once a day to reach out to a client or colleague.”
It’s exciting watching your career Matt and we all feel all giddy that you let us all be a part of it. Keep on keepin’ on!
Matt Stigliano
December 29, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Bill – You’re 100% on the combining the two idea. I really wanted to hit Connect in NYC as my wife loves NYC, but the funds just weren’t there to pull it off. But perhaps the next one. It would be nice to a) get the vacation, b) meet all of you, and c) introduce my wife to the people she probably thinks I made up.
Missy – One of the agents in my office and I started talking about goals today. He has one of those giant post-it note pads in his office and he was working on his. They are now stuck to his window and you can’t miss them. I might follow him down that path. He offered to let me use the pad and I think it would be good if I had to stare at them all day.
Lani – Some great things to think about. This is scary uncharted territory for me. I will tell you this, my act of putting my goals here actually got me moving a bit more this week than usual. I have already made several contacts I wanted to make and there are buyers in the pipeline now. A little goal writing seems to have already gone a long way. Now if I refine them, what will happen? I’ll be working on that. As for “giddy” – you shouldn’t be surprised to hear me say that it should be the other way around. I have the biggest pool of brilliant teachers to pull from. How lucky am I? And I am not going to let those teachers down.
Allison Crow Flanigin
January 1, 2009 at 11:01 am
I love that you shared your goals! I do this to because the increased social pressure means you are more likely to achieve them all! Keep your list in front of you. PROMISE your wife you will take her on that vacation –then you CAN’T break it.
Consider the outcomes if you DON’T reach your goals…really emote how bad that would bite! What pain would that cause? And when you DO complete them all…how will that feel. Consider the pain of not accomplishing and the pleasure of achieving your goals EVERY SINGLE DAY!
You can completely do the 30 transactions you are hesitant to set as your goal! Shoot for 35 and don’t stop till you get there. The decision to DO them is the hardest part.
I finally hired a fitness coach and it has made ALL the difference in my health. You are right, as a REALTOR® being healthy or fit isn’t easy. I always said I was to tired or didn’t have time. one week in with the trainer and my energy was back and it was much easier to get back in and stay on track with my health! Go pay for 6 sessions today!
You can do all that you set out to! Thanks for sharing!