It’s that time of year when we reflect on what we’ve done and look toward what we will do. This episode is the one that will get you excited and in the right frame of mind to prepare for next year. We have an honest discussion about struggles and successes with goal setting and walk you through picking a word of the year and creating a business plan. This episode will push you into the next year of your life and business on the right foot!

The following is a rough transcript provided by Otter.ai.

0:00
Hi y’all welcome to hustle hump. No, I don’t like that. Save all these giggles today. Lots of content here. Okay. Hi, y’all welcome to hustle humbly. It’s Alyssa and Katie and we are two top producing realtors in the Baton Rouge market. We work for two different companies where we should be competitors. But we have chosen community over competition. The goal of our podcast is to encourage you to find your own way in business. So stop comparing yourself and start embracing your strengths. Episode 18 Hi, everyone. Its number eight team. Whoo. Today’s topic is goal setting. I don’t think we have an official name yet. We’ll get to that later. Right. Goal setting business plan word of the year. I like it. Yeah. Okay. All right. It’s been a minute since we’ve recorded together. Yeah, I had to go solo on Lee. That was the thing. So I got some interesting statistics. Okay, I thought it might be fun. We’ll jump right in with them. And I think this was a Harvard Business study, okay. From a couple of years ago, so not like last year, but it said 83% of the population does not have goals. I believe it. Just none at all. 14% have a plan. But they’re unwritten goals. So then they’ve got it. That’s where I fall. Okay. And then 3% have written goals. So of the population, small percentage. I don’t even know what the sample size was. But I would venture to say this is probably true. I feel like episodes like this really point out our differences. Yeah, for sure. And areas that I want to improve on. Well, look, I am giddy about today. Like I love this episode. I love this topic. I like to go set, I like to write things down. So this is in my wheelhouse and just what I like, which makes it a lot easier for me, but apparently only 3% of the population is in agreeance with me, it makes me feel anxious. What tell me why Why does that make you feel anxious? Okay, I feel like any entrepreneur or realtor out there to pick a number. And then be like, Okay, go make it happen, right? It’s like, you don’t have full you, you control your work, and how you work and the work that you put in and write and all of that. But if you don’t make that number, it’s like, I’m scared to speak a number out into the universe, because then you could fail. Yeah, you know, it’s funny, I think only one of my 14 years I ever hit my goal. And I still do it every year. See, I just love that about you. So it’s, I mean, the fail, it’s not a failure, it’s you’re trying to strive for something you’re trying to achieve something if you don’t, and we’re gonna go through sort of tips for setting a goal. If you’re not striving for something, if it’s something you easily did last year, that’s not really a goal, right? Just repeat. I mean, that’s just, that’s just a plateau actually what I kind of go for, um, like, I feel like I’ve been in this eight years, I’ve kind of found my average, right? If I can stay in this vicinity, then I’m fine. Well, I think you are fine. You could I could do better, I think you don’t need but goals also don’t have to be a number. And I think we’ve definitely covered this one episodes before, you are happy with your, your transaction number your your income level, these numbers are okay, and so you want to maintain, but there may be ways that you can set a goal that I’d like to spend more time with family on whatever Saturdays or I’d like to, you know, cut down the hours of email I’m doing after five or you may want to set goals that are different than the goals I want to set because I’m still trying to increase the numbers. Sure. So I think that’s okay. Now, here’s where the stats get really good. Okay. Okay, so 14% of people had a plan, but they were unwritten goals, those people were 10 times more successful than the 83% of the population with no goals. Wow. So even if you didn’t write it down, but you had a plan, or a kind of a goal in mind, 10 times more successful. Now the 3% that wrote their goals down were three times more successful than the 14%. Wow. So just by putting the goal on paper, and I think we this is from a different, this statistic isn’t from that study, but I’ve heard this multiple places 42% more likely to achieve written goals. So just the just the active activity of writing it down, makes you 42% more likely to achieve the goal. That’s amazing. I really like that. It’s super exciting because friends, everyone listening to us, grab a sheet of paper and a pencil or type it in your phone and write down what your goal is for next year. And there you go. You’re 42% More likely already ahead of the game. You’re already doing anything stressful. You’re already ahead of 83% of the population. Wow, it’s really, we’re gonna get deep into this. But really y’all look at it as a fun activity. You’re, you’re you’re coming at it from a stressful place because you’re seeing the end. And if we focus on the journey part of it like your husband would, yes, then it would be okay. You’d be like, I have these goals to sort of keep me, you know, going in a certain path. I think that it’s like my favorite time of year right now. Yeah, it’s like holidays, and everybody’s thankful and kind of slowing down and just embracing life and family quality time, whatnot. And then January comes, right, and it’s like the holidays over. Your number goes back to zero party’s over. People that like check MLS to see where they stand. Everybody is back at zero, right? It’s just the pressure and it’s like to do it again. Yeah, do it again. Do it again. Yep. It’s a little daunting sometimes. And then, you know, by March, I’m fine. Well, right, because by March, you, everyone is kind of back in right in where they were going to be the hardest part of goal setting. For realtors, specifically, I think is that when you hit January, that is the deadest time. So you’re like raring to go, hooray, holidays are over. I’m ready to hit the ground running. But there’s, I’m doing my air quotes, podcasts. There’s no work to be done. Right, right. Yeah, because maybe you don’t have any of those hot leads. You don’t have buyer’s or seller’s. It’s the slowest time of the year. So you feel like you’re really starting off on the wrong foot. But you’re ready, but you want to go, you want to set those goals and make it happen. And that’s where I think, you know, I’m kind of joking about goal setting, making me anxious. Sure, there are some daunting write offs to it. But it does make me excited. And it makes me want to like, start fresh. Yeah, and clean house and get organized and ready to conquer the year. Yeah, I think it’s great to start with a clean slate. I’ll tell you what I struggled with the most last year and since my kids have been in school, regular school, they are out of school until like January 6, seventh eighth, somewhere in that range. So there’s this stupid imaginary line, right? January 1, it’s the New Year gotta hit the hit the ground running, got all these goals to put in place. But wait, but wait, it’s still vacation. Like my kids are still home. I’m not hitting any ground running. I’m just trying to still keep my head above water and like, do what I got to do and try to not not want to move on. Yeah, so my goals don’t start until they start back at school. I just, I don’t want to be so focused on everyone else’s starting, you know, everyone’s posting their fun quotes about the New Year. Everyone’s making a resolution. I just and um, a lot of moms I’m sure it’s not just me or like, I’m not there yet. I’m not ready. I’m not there yet. Yeah, give me a week. Maybe ease in right think it’s okay to ease into your goals. Sure. Well, you have all year, what is five days gonna matter? It’s not gonna matter. But it’s just a mental thing. It’s not going to matter. I’m like, oh, everyone’s getting ahead of me. Okay, so the kids are back at school. Yeah, it’s day one. You’re alone in your office? Yeah. What does that look like? I want to clean, okay, I want to file I want to clean, I want to transfer over my files. I don’t have that many that are dated. But you know, the where I’m keeping my receipts and stuff. I just want to get it all organized. And YouTube probably can see this. If they can see into my dirty closet back here. I’m not or like I’m still that’s a work in progress. So every January, I’m like, Okay, I’m gonna get some more of it done. And maybe one day, it’ll be done. Sure. But I don’t know if it’ll actually be done. I don’t know. But I don’t wait until January to do the goal setting though. No, you so yeah, this episode is going to air in the beginning of December. Okay. Y’all, this is the time. You know, you’re a couple of weeks out of Christmas, you probably have some slower time here. You should be working on your business plan and your goal setting. Now don’t wait for January one. I mean, you can but then you’re behind a little. Yeah, I mean, you want to you want to hit the ground running when Yeah, you and it’s not like this isn’t a long activity. Doing a business plan is a little bit more labor intensive and might at the most take you two hours. But goal setting I don’t think should take you more than 30 minutes of thoughtfulness and writing. Right? It’s not a long thing. That’s what’s so funny that 83% of the population, they don’t even know where they’re headed, or if they want to head somewhere because they haven’t even stopped to think about it for 30 minutes. I used to write them in my notes. Uh huh. And it is fun to look back at my goals see what they were 2013 Yes, we’re gonna look right now. Please do I can’t wait to hear at that’s fine. While you look at that. I’m going to start with the steps to doing goals. Do you want to hear the steps please?

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I found this amazing article y’all. I wish I would have written down but I have a link to it. So we’ll post it like on our social media. The article was really well read well written. And it said had steps to setting your goals. One was due a year in review. So I think this plays into your kind of method that you’ve been using, but go through, it’s December, you probably know which closings you have left or which business you have left coming, go through your year, it’s time to look at the year, see what you did, and kind of take stock of what happened. Right? How do you do that? How do you actually go through your year and review? Well, we talked about the Excel spreadsheet, yeah, how it has a source column, okay. So that’s where that’s how I know these people, or if they weren’t a client, where they came from, but I just have all of my addresses written down with the sale price and the close date, okay, and where they came from. Okay. And literally, at the end of the year, I just look at each one and I make a tally of where they came from. Yeah, I think that’s good. And really, okay, your average realtor does 11 or 12 transactions a year. That’s it. Wow. 12, let’s just call it 12. One a month, I do not want to hear someone tell me, they did not have time to figure out where their transactions came from. If there were 12 or 20, or 50. You can look through a list of 50 transactions and figure out where they came from. It takes it takes 10 minutes if that. Right. And I think this is more of us just telling ourselves. Maybe we’re nervous about looking back at it. Maybe? Sometimes I am. It’s like the accountability. Yeah, this is where you’re looking at yourself. Yeah, you’re holding yourself accountable. Yep. Was it a good year? Was it a slow year? What’s going on? Right? Are you still happy? Yep. Are you giving yourself grace? Because there was a reason? Or do you need to give yourself some tough love, because there was no reason and you just know in your heart that you didn’t do what you were supposed to and have the self discipline, right? That might be what it is, it’s not the time that it takes to do it. It’s the it’s the mental part of it. That’s for me, I think I just get nervous. Well, and I do them. I don’t know why I’m such a record keeper. It’s just who I am. So I have a separate spreadsheet. That’s not my database. It is a spreadsheet that says What the Who the buyer or seller was in where they came from. I am so cuckoo about this. I have where they came from. But I also have a column that says the day that I received that lead. Oh, wow. And then the day it close, so I can see how long it took someone to percolate. That’s amazing. And that’s I mean, I don’t even know what the point of that is, or why I got into that habit. I think it was when I did more online leads, because you really need to figure out, alright, an online lead is probably not going to turn the same way. Someone that called you off of your sign is going to turn right. They’re just in different places online leads are in this really exploratory phase. So I have all of that in there. And then it’s broken down by so if they came from Facebook, or if they came from a sign call, it’s just like what you’re doing. Sure, but it’s all in there. And they’re broken down by commissions. And I can see, where did I make the most money? So if I’m spending money on Facebook ads, for instance, will Did I get any leads off of that? Did I close anything? Do I want to keep doing that? Right? The most interesting one, I think was when I was doing postcards. And I only stopped doing them out of time more than anything, but I was doing for postcard series on every listing. And it was I thought, it’s a lot and I think that year that I did them religiously, might have been 2017. And it was like $4,000 worth of marketing dollars. But I had the column that said this is all the money I made off of it. And it was like 1000 words out. They worked out that worked out fine. But there were other ones that didn’t work out great. I’m like, I’m not gonna lie. I paid for Zillow for a minute. That didn’t work out at all. Yeah, but y’all don’t just pay for it. Because you’re getting it, you got to track it. What a waste. What a waste of advertising dollars if you’re making money off of doing postcards, but not off of doing Zillow, then move your marketing dollars there. Or if you’re making money off of Facebook ads, or if you’re making money only off your spear. Well why don’t you take that 150 bucks. You’re paying Zillow every month and take 15 people to coffee, right? I mean, that’s more fun. Well, for example, I’m looking right now at my 2016 2017 and 2018 charts. Okay, so I make a chart at the end of every year broken down into where the business came from. Right. And it’s funny because over 50% is repeat and referral right over 50 That’s amazing. So to be repeat and referral if you want to capitalize on that you have to say okay, my goal is to handwrite thank you cards twice a year to everybody that has ever been a repeat or referral or treat them to coffee or send them a $5 gift card right like those are the goals you would be setting. Yeah, if you were rocking open houses and getting leads from that you probably need to set a goal of seven is the day that I worked so hard? Maybe I’ll do one or two open houses every Sunday. Yeah. And that’s where I’m winning. But it’s just anytime at the end of the year to just see it happening. Yeah. It’s validation. It lets you know where to spend your time and effort. Well, having that chart and having my spreadsheet, it’s not a requirement. I don’t track they don’t track. And here’s the thing, y’all, it’s not hard. And it’s treating your business like a business. And what did we learn? If you treat it like a business, it will pay you like a business? If you hired you? Do you run your business? Would you fire you? On some things? Probably, you know, depends what it is. I don’t know which part? Yes, I mean, look, but but I’m proud. I’m proud that I make those charts in those goals. And that is an important part of being a business and you’re wearing all the hats and I know that’s hard. And maybe writing down stats and figures and goals and numbers is not your strong suit. But partner up with someone in your office, whose it is and take an hour go to lunch make it a fun activity, right? Hey, we’re gonna goals that we’re gonna but y’all, here’s my other thing. Please do not go from doing 12 transactions in a year and get all gung ho about doing goal setting and then say next year, you’re going to do 50 That’s a lot. You’re going to need a plan. If you’re not changing something drastic in the way you’re doing your business, you’re not going to drastically change the numbers, right? It is just impossible. Now if you’re going to add in open houses to every Sunday, and you’ve never done them before, maybe I can buy that right but what are you changing? What is gonna get you? Yeah, I’m looking at it’s a business plan, plan. Talk about your plan. Okay, your your sheet that you just showed me? Because I love it. All right, gonna commit to do it, you’re gonna do it, do it, you’re gonna love it. I mean, you might have to do it with me, I will do with you. Okay, you also Google realtor business plan. I have seen it done in different places I have, I think I did a webinar one time with breakthrough broker which is not affiliated to any company that you can just do it. And then you probably will do it towards the end of the year. I’ve seen it done with Brian Buffini, I have one that I was able to do through my REMAX. It was like a worksheet from Remax. But I’m gonna just really kind of quickly go over it, because this is the one that will probably take you an hour to two hours because you have to collect some data in order to fill it out correctly. But you come up with your income objective for the year, and then you break that down by 12 months. So you want to make $100,000, you divide it by 12, what do you make him per month, then you do your average sales price. This is where you need to go look at your however many transactions you did last year and do the math, right? You got to add up all the sales prices and divide it by however many transactions you did and get the average, then you’re going to do the same thing with commissions. So average commission per sale. And I will tell you mine has changed as the price range I works I work in changes, that number isn’t the same every year, right? So you do have to go look at what business you have the year before. And then you put in, that’s pretty easy. You’ve got an average sales price, you’ve got an average commissions, and you’re gonna have a total income and you like mine is set up in a in a spreadsheet now where it’s got all of these are formulas, right? So I’m not doing all this math, I’m able to just type in the numbers, that it divides out and tells you how many transactions so for income? Yeah, in 2019, I had an income objective of 300,000. And that was 44 transactions. And it’s funny because 44 transactions seems feasible. It’s not an income of 300,000 Seems like a lot, right. So that’s the whole thing. It’s all perspective, right? And that’s because of where we’re at. I mean, every market is going to be different, right? So if their average sales price is 150, or 450. I mean, in California, it’s going to take less transaction, right, right. I mean, like it’s it depends on what you’re like my average sales price from when I looked at my numbers of 2018, and pulled it onto the worksheet to do for 2019 was $268,000. That was the average sales price. So that’s how I got to the 44 transactions. If you divide that by 12, it’s for a month, perfect four transactions a month. That’s easy. And then that is when you your mindset and your visualization comes in and your mission statements. You should be saying to yourself every day, I am closing four transactions this month. And if you don’t liquid, if you have a bad month, I just keep going. Now, I do reassess and that’s going to come in the steps that we’re going to talk about in a minute. Just reassess if you haven’t closed for every month and that seems like it’s unrealistic. Don’t wait to the end of the year to redo your goals. Fix them. The majority of my business is done in May June July, right. Well,

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I mean, that’s probably a lot of realtor. Sure. So that’s okay. You know, January February March is going to be slow. Don’t chuck it all there. What are you doing during that time because you have to prepare for this busy because someone summer gets here. You’re not going to have time to handwrite cards all the time. Oh, organize your database and be in your office and get ready. Yeah, that’s why really taking advantage of Simba. Yes. Isn’t that right now that’s slow season is when you should be doing that. You know, I told you before we started, I think 2020 is going to be a good year. And I loved when you said that. I like believe it in my bones. I don’t know why. It’s just I’m starting to get phone calls already. You can sense it. Hey, I think I’m getting ready after Yeah. You just come by. And I’m like, I’m getting more of these calls than normal. Who? And I just think that 2020 is you better be ready. So y’all better be ready. Yeah, I better be ready. You’re right. I better be ready. Get the list done, get them done. Alright, so the end of the business plan worksheet, y’all. It just kind of goes through, look at how many listings you did last year, how many were buyers. That way, you know your percentages there. And then you can figure out one thing I did want to mention, it does ask you how many appointments you went on, I don’t think it’s feasible for you to go back through your calendar and try to figure out, literally track that as you go. No, but I’ll tell you how I track it. Okay. I am a religious user of the agency disclosed, disclosure form and pamphlet that we’re required to have in Louisiana. So when I go on a buyer appointment, I have my buyer folder, and it is tucked in there and every new buyer I meet has to sign it. And that just says they’ve gotten the pamphlet. And the same thing with listing appointments as they get a listing folder and the pamphlet is in there and everyone has to sign it will we’re required here to keep that signed pamphlet for five years. So I just pulled out and y’all it’s not that many. I mean, what am I going on five to 10 appointments at the most in a month of new brand new people, right? So I just go through that disclosure, and then I’ll be like, Oh, dang, they never did list their house, or, Oh, they ended up staying or oh, this buyer like flaked out on me. But at least I know how many I met, right? That is where systems come into play. In order to keep your numbers and these are systems y’all can just set in place. If you’ve not done them before, you can guesstimate you can look you can pull out a month of your calendar and count them. But so I don’t know, I think that’s helpful. If you’re keeping up. That’s how I keep up with it. Because I’m not going to go dig back through my calendar and trying to figure out how many appointments I went on. But I do use those disclosures to figure it out. And then it will use that based on the percentage of listings you sold and percentage of buyers to tell you how many buyer or seller appointments you need. And it gets really in depth and we’re not going to go further into it. But it will break it out to working what is your time worth per hour. I like it. It’s pretty fun. It’s fun to look at. And it’s helpful to keep you focused. It will be a really cool thing to just do year to year. Oh yeah. And see UPS downs growth like 2017 was my best year so far. I think at this rate 2019 will be 2017. That’s the same for me in that. Do you think that’s market based? Maybe 2018? Was a down year for me? I did about 17 Less transaction? Yeah. About three and a half million less than the year before. 2017. So it was just a down year? I didn’t really feel it that much. Yeah. So I don’t know. Okay. I don’t know why that interesting. 2019 is looking to be a good year and deep in your bones. You say I want to play 2020 Looking good. I just highlight it. I think that’s so good. Okay, do you want to hear the steps to setting a goal? Yes. Okay, so step one year in review. Okay, so everything came from figured out, look at your year, Were you successful in your fitness goal? I mean, that that’s the thing about goal setting. It’s kind of all encompassing, right? You can’t compartmentalize just your work. You got to think about everything. Number two, step two, write down your goals. Hey, everybody, everybody listening to the podcast gonna join that 3% of the population that super successful. They need to be realistic, but push yourself. So mean, you can’t, you can’t just pick a number out of the sky. You have to look at what you did before but push yourself a little bit. Step three is write it down in an I am not an I will statement. So I am closing 50 transactions. Not i will i am. That’s a visualization trick. So that’s mindset stuff. Number four, you’ve heard this before the SMART goals. Yes. So the smart every if you go to any class, right? They say the basics. It’s a basic goal setting, but I like it. It’s specific, measurable, attainable, realistic time way. So you’ve got to follow those parameters. When you’re setting your goals, make sure they’re specific, not just, I’m going to do more business next year. Right? But like how much more and be able to measure it and and give it a deadline? I, I’m gonna get to this in a second. Number five is action plan. Hey, how about that double down on what’s working? Okay. Okay, got to actually have a plan. Number six was be flexible and reevaluate. So that’s what we already said. If it’s not going so great. Don’t just hang on to old quit. Yeah, don’t just quit, reassess, get a new goal. But I also learned and I think there’s a book about this, I feel like it was a Brian Buffini something I listened to. They do their goal setting and 12 week sections. So they break the year up into 12 weeks. And I think what’s nice about that in real estate, especially being cyclical, if the first three months of the year are slower, then set your goals according to what you think is realistic. And that’s a 12 week, 12 Week section, and then the next 12 weeks, you would set different goals. Sure. Okay. And then number seven, you’re going to love this one celebrate wins, weekly, weekly. Yeah, that’s good. We need more celebration. Because if you’re looking at your goals as an end of the year thing, and you’re no, you’re not going to make them it’s daunting, you feel like a failure, even if you know you’re gonna make them it’s just so much has to happen to now and to big break it up into 12 week sections and celebrate weekly wins. Okay, I love that. I found my 2013 goals, please tell us. So just to put this into perspective, 2017 was my best year selling 92 homes for 21 million. I mean, first of all, we’re going to just stop right there. That is like bananas. Good. It’s It’s pretty crazy. I’m not sure how that happened. I’m going to celebrate your win, celebrate way to get girl. Okay, but just four years prior, okay. I was in year two of real estate. Let’s hear those goals. 4,000,000k was my goal. And I wanted to achieve that by selling 25 homes. That’s totally respectable. Oh, yeah, these are great goals, great goals. Um, the majority of those 25 transactions would be buyers because at this time, I really wasn’t getting that many listings right as I was 21. And I looked like I was 15. Right? Nobody trusted me know, my sign in their yard. Right. So I relied heavily on buyers in the beginning before I had the numbers to win over and the competent seller. Yes, exactly. Okay. Goal number three. First was 4,000,002 is 25. Ask for referrals. Oh, I made it a goal to ask what a great idea. That could be letters. Yeah, that could be Facebook messages, but I just had to stop tiptoeing around it. You made you made our focus. Complete my database. Okay, so no blanks in there. Did you do it? I did love it. Make a system for organizing leads, like sign calls phone duty. So like if somebody just randomly calls you I needed to make a system for that. Got it. And I made one and it’s changed. Get the SRS ABR and SRS designation, not just Well, I wanted to get three resignations in a year. Did you? I did join the board. So many successes. No. I mean, I met most Yeah, I think I meant all these. Join the board serve. So I put $5,000 into my IRA. Love it. Do six mailouts a year. Okay. I put that because my broker pays for us to do six meals a year. So you want are you willing to do that at least? Yes. Did you do the 25 transactions? Do you remember? I think I did. Okay, I think that what was great about those. Hey, number one, they were written down. Yeah, proud of you. Thanks. And you met a bunch of them? Yeah. And I think that’s all they were all good. And they weren’t all just numbers. Right? Sometimes those goals that are not numbers are the ones that actually move you through the numbers. Right? Yeah. Okay. I love that. I had a goal the next year to run the four mile LSU lake in 40 minutes. Oh, did you do that? No. That’s it. You know, it’s funny. You’re doing it you’re doing it now. Now. Sweet. I’m back into it. And I think I’m gonna make it I love it. That’s a lot of running it 10 minute mile not so fast. But you know,

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I don’t I can’t run a mile. So kudos to you. Okay, that is the steps to doing your goals like and then that was very easy, sort of a brief overview of a bit This planning. I also wanted to talk just a little bit about the word, the word for the year. Have you ever heard of this? Yes, you’re more into it than I am. But I like it. So tell us about Well, I mean, I’m not an expert, because I don’t know where y’all are learning about me that I listened to a lot of random webinars. I love this, like your episode. This episode was made for you. This is my jam, y’all. This is like a coaching episode where you’re telling me and our audience, how to go set a goal to get your mindset, right, how to give yourself grace, when it’s okay to reevaluate okay to fail. Look what the true irony of that is, is, I think we all know this. I do half as much business as you if not less than that. But I admire your systems. I think the systems are what keep me sane. Okay. And although I’m doing half as much business, I’ve managed to stay in this business twice as long. So I want to be here for the long term. You can’t you’ve got to have systems or you’re going to not have sanity. The word for the year. I don’t know if I heard it in a podcast, or I feel like boy, Brian Buffini. You know why Brian’s coming up so much? Because y’all go listen to his podcast. And I really wish I could remember the name of it right now. He’s all about setting goals. He’s all about systems. And he’s a great coach. Okay, so I think it was it’s like, there’s a book maybe it’s called one little word. And then there was like a, some sort of like, challenge that some blogger, I look, I don’t know, love picking a word. I like it as great as my word for 2020. Yes. So somehow I came across it. And I heard it, and it sort of resonated with me on whatever webinar I was listening to. And I’m like, I like that. Because a lot of times I find like, where I’m struggling, you can hone in on what you need to do with a word. So here are some of the words and a lot of times mine came to me organically. So that would start the year. And I’d be having the same sort of struggles. And I’d be like, You know what, I need to focus on balance. So I would just say the word balance, I would write it down. If things were feeling a little off kilter, I would just be like, Okay, how can I make this about that word, and I’ve had balance, I’ve had simplify. I like simplify. I had simple written down as my 2020 word. Yeah, it’s, that’s amazing. Keep it simple. You don’t need to overcome it. You know, do all these crazy things. You don’t need to do a bunch of different things. Oh, keep it simple. If that if you want to make it the year of handwriting letters, you handwrite you know, 1000s of letters and 2020. And watch your business. Yes. But you know, what’s interesting about that, I think when we were such pendulum people, we go one way or the other. Yeah, so I’m either going to set all the goals, and I’m going to try to do all the things or I’m going to do no goals, I’m gonna be a total failure, right? Like, I’m not gonna set them I’m not gonna write them down. Right? If we can find that middle ground, just like what you’re saying. Pick a thing. Yeah, like, let that thing be your goal. Simplify. When I think last year I did connect, because I really wanted to be more intentional about reaching out to my database. And, you know, just connecting to people, even through social media, that was part of my focus to like, comment on other people’s posts, like connect. Sure. I think I know what 2020 is, but I think it’s because it’s so obvious. What do you want to take a guess at my 2020 word?

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I feel like I should have some guesses. But I don’t know. I put you on the spot. And this is going in,

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I totally put you on the spot. Because it’s 2020. And because I do feel like I vision. Yep. She did it. I think that’s a great word for 2020. It is, but I think it applies to where I’m at right now. It’s not just something Oh, 2020 is cool. I’m gonna call it vision. I had a lot of clarity in 2019, about where I want my business to go. I mean, that’s part of why we’re doing the podcast, right. So I think that visions resonates with me for 2020. And I like that it’s kind of cute. And it’s funny, because I feel like, once we became good friends, that is when I started thinking because you question like, well, what are you doing this for? Like, what are you in real estate for? What’s your long term goal? And I’m like, I don’t know. It’s just my job. My family needs income. It’s my gotta pay bills. It’s my Yeah, I need to provide for my family and pay bills. But you have always had a bigger vision, a bigger picture of, you know, do you want to do more? Do you want to do less and not more? Does it mean more business, right? This means something else that you enjoy? Or do you want to use your success for something? And I mean, I think that’s why I was like, in the beginning, when I met you, I was like, No, I just want to sell real estate but and I do that’s always going to be my primary thing. But that’s why you got my wheels turning and that’s why Did you to that day saying maybe we should do a podcast? Yeah. And it can be a platform to help people reach the masses without having to meet individually with everybody. And you know, it’s yeah, it frees up my time and allows me to refer people to it for sure. And it’s super fulfilling. It’s doing exactly what you’ve thought it could do. And I think it’s interesting because it came to me in the last few years that pull and that feeling like when I asked you, what are you doing this for? It wasn’t because I knew you’re five or seven that I knew what I was doing it for. But it your 1011 12 1314 it starts to feel like the natural progression is to start taking one buyer’s agents and have a big team or consider being a broker or like, how do you if you’re a growth minded individual, and have some sort of ambition, and you’re a realtor, there are sort of these natural places that it takes you right? Sure. And you and I think always both connected on the fact that we had no desires to be a broker or a team leader. I think that to me, it’s a totally different job, it would be less quitting what I’m doing yet to become a manager, right? I don’t want to manage other realtors. I don’t want to be responsible for other realtors. I just want to manage my clients. Yeah. And I think what the whole point I’m trying to make in the tale that this is, is that it’s okay, if you’re in a business, and you don’t want to take the path, that is the natural progression. Sure, it’s okay, if your goal is to work less, and you don’t need all of that income, it is okay. If your goal is to, you know, be with your family more or to travel more or to do anything, I set a goal one year to match my production of the previous year. Okay, like I was just looking at it. And I was like, That was a great year. If I could do that again, I would be happy, right? If I didn’t grow, if I just maintained for this year. I’m good with that. We’re good. Yeah, I think that’s fine. It’s okay to consider that you’ve reached the top of what you want your goal to be right. But when you start to feel restless, or like you want something more than really give it some thought. Sure.

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So what do you think made you get that feeling? That’s a really interesting question. Like, was it something was it that your kids were at school? And like, what do you

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want to know the honest answer? Yeah, I felt like I didn’t have any more to give to get more income out of my real estate. I felt like I was doing everything that I was willing to do and still have my boundaries in place, right. And I wanted to make more money. Like, I just felt like I was kind of stuck in a place where I didn’t know how to fit in the activities it was going to require for me to make the real estate grow financially. Okay, I sort of felt at a point like you knew, hitting bigger numbers meant you would have to sacrifice some of your time your time family. Yeah. And boundaries. And you just were like, I don’t want to grow that way. Yeah, but I do want to grow. Like, I do want to grow financially. So I’m like, Okay, well, if I don’t want to grow that way, and I don’t want to give more of my trade my time for money, like, what am I going to do? So it’s going to come more into light as we go through the next few months. But so I found some things that I think you’re going to add to that, and complemented in a nice way. And I think that I just felt a pull like, I mean, sure I toyed with it for a second. Maybe I do need to be a broker. Is that what I have to do? Like, I don’t know how to win? Isn’t that what I’m supposed? Isn’t that what I’m supposed to be doing? So I mean, I’m not gonna lie. I toyed with it for him. I’m like, that’s just doesn’t feel right. Like it just didn’t feel right. And I think I feel like I got some clarity, especially once, you know, we committed to doing the podcast and, and so life is a journey that you don’t know the end of, but you don’t have to stay exactly where you are. And if you feel like you’re stuck, and you don’t feel comfortable making the changes you’d have to make to make that bigger than have another thing. You have to respect the season that you’re in. Yeah, yeah. I know that. I mean, I turned down our board of directors secretary treasurer position a few years ago, because I knew that it meant becoming vice president and then President during a time when I was going to be having my first baby. Yeah, that just doesn’t make sense. It makes sense. You know, so yeah, don’t feel I think that’s the problem. We put ourselves we look at what everyone else is doing, then. Yeah, we look at what everyone else is doing. We put ourselves in the same line and we’re like, Okay, well, that’s what happens next. So I have to, I mean, that’s very brave to say, I’m not ready for that. Right. And that’s not what I want my goal to be. I feel like it goes it always goes back to mindset totally like no matter what the topic is, yeah, it’s all about your mindset. How you’re doing saying, Are you comparing yourself? Or are you embracing your strengths? Yes. You know, you know you Yes. You know the truth. Yeah. So what you’re capable of what you can handle what’s going on in your life? How are your parents doing? Are they aging? Do they need more time with you? Yeah. How are your kids doing? How old? Are they? Are they becoming more independent? Or are they little, little and need You more? Yeah, no, just Yeah, trying to figure out where am I? What can I handle? Don’t beat yourself up, right? I like it. I love it. And that is where goal setting is fun. It is so fun. It’s fun. Picture what you want your life to look like next year. And don’t be afraid to say if it’s more or less or lateral. I mean, like, if it’s the same, that’s great. Just pick the picture what it looks like to reach those goals. And then you can get there and write them down. Because if you don’t write them down, are you doing another vision board? Well, do you do those? No roadmap. Okay. So back for my YouTube friends years, it’s I 10 years in between those 10 years, you saw the original realize it was 10. You saw the original vision board? Yeah, I made that one when I was feeling kind of in that that slumpy year 231234. I don’t remember what year it was two or three, where I’m like, I don’t know if this is going to work for me. And I made that vision board. And I got really focused on mindset. And I kind of ran with it for a while. And then things were just good in a nice place. And this year when I started to feel that poll and I started to feel like I needed more or something else or I needed to push myself out of whatever comfort zone I was in. That’s when I made a new one. Hmm, 10 even 10 years so like it so mean time that you need to do your goals every year. Sure. But you can do you can jumpstart yourself. Well, some of the things on the vision board like owning a vacation home or whatever could take a couple years. Yeah. Oh, for sure. They do take a couple of years. Yeah, I think that it Yeah, I mean, you can set goals for five years down the road, but I think make sure you set some for 12 weeks down the road. Right knee? It’s okay. I think that is really what I’m gonna do vision. What do you so is Wait, assemble your word for next year, I had symbol written down. I had aware. Love it. So here’s why aware let me hear it. I want to be aware of the people around me. instead of So focus, focus, focus on my stuff. Like I want to be more aware of how my husband’s doing in his job. I want to be more aware of the realtors around me in my office and how they’re doing love it. I want to be more aware of how my daughter is like just tuning in more to my surroundings than to myself. Okay. I don’t want to be tuned out. I love it going through life. Okay. And then I had proactive Oh, but proactive seems wrong. Can I kind of weigh in? It does seem wrong. It seems like that’s a that’s a push where that’s an achievers word. I know. That’s a total achievers where I am three where? Yes, we I’m ixnay on that one. Okay, you can have you can have aware or simple either way. Simple unaware. Simply aware. Perfect. There you go. Okay, this has been like the best episode ever for me because I do so prized right now. I love it. Like it’s my favorite thing. And so we could go further into it. And maybe next year, we’ll do a whole nother one. Do you think we’ll be doing this next year? Yeah, I do too. Oh, my Gosh, you scared me for a second. I’m not gonna quit on you right now is my goal. My goal for 2020 is to let this go. Okay. I’m just kidding. Just kidding. Don’t cry. So 2020 people, get some goals, write them down. I don’t care what they are, but make sure they’re on a piece of paper somewhere. I’m excited about who we’re tasting to today. Alright, let’s hear it. Okay, I’m going to butcher her name. Her name is Sarah. Guzik. I’m going to call her Sarah G. Okay, love it. She’s from Ontario. Ooh. And she’s been following along. So we have a Canadian. Do you know that Canada is on my bucket list of places I want to go and I hear it’s beautiful. I know. I want to go so bad. Okay, I just am excited that we have Fabian following the podcast. Okay, so she’s a new agent. Okay. She just had her first deal. Yay. She started selling at the beginning of September. Okay. And two weeks ago, she had her first deal, okay. She works with her dad who has been selling for 35 years. And he has been her mentor and she’s like, so blessed. She said, What a great mentor. Okay, but this was her first solo deal all by herself all by herself. That’s huge. I love it. So good. So we’re going to cheers to Sarah G. Yay, Sarah. Good job. Congrats. Congrats. Thank you so much for tuning in to the hustle homely podcast. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram at hustle humbly podcast. If you have an episode topic or question please email us at hustle humbly podcast@gmail.com Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Don’t forget to send in your wins See you next week.

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This is the lie