We now find ourselves three months into the new year. As we reflect on our first-quarter performance, perhaps we should also take a closer look at what led us to achieve or fall short of our goals, and how those behaviors, actions and inactions will impact your real estate business moving forward.
With just nine short months left to wrap up 2021 with a bang, there is no better time to take stock of what you need to do and the behaviors you need to master to reach or surpass your goals.
But change is hard. You know it. We know it.
Why is changing your behaviors so difficult? You know what you need to do and how to do it. So why not just do it?
In this piece, we’ll explore how to change your behavior in a way that not only makes sense, but is easy to follow (so long as you have a little willpower).
One of the Biggest Opportunities Agents Have Control Over
Behaviors might be challenging to change, and even harder to stick to, but your behavior IS one aspect of your business over which you have total control.
Ask yourself…
How many weeks have you been able to stick to your schedule in 2021?
Do you have distractions in your life that are preventing you from reaching your peak potential, and what are you doing to eliminate them?
Are you happy with the amount of prospecting you’re getting done daily? How aggressive is your new client acquisition strategy?
Are you hitting your targets for newly set appointments?
What about contracts? Are you ahead or behind as compared to last year? Are you on target to reach your goals in 2021?
What do All of These Things Have in Common?
Behavior. The result of each is firmly rooted in your daily behaviors. So ask yourself, if you’re not on track to outpace and outperform your goals, what ARE you doing to change that? What behaviors have you identified that need to be changed, and how are you changing them. Are you holding yourself accountable?
Accountability and Coaching
As a coach of top-selling real estate agents, myself and my team put wheels to pavement, helping eager agents reach their true potential, and a lot of that starts with behavior modification.
Even self-limiting beliefs can be a crutch that holds you back from attaining the wealth and prosperity you’re capable of achieving.
Why is Changing Behavior So Darn Hard?
The thing is, you likely know what needs to be done, and yet, you haven’t done it. Or perhaps you tried only to fail and slip right back into your old ways. Sound familiar?
You’re not alone. Despite our best efforts, planning and ideas about how to grow our businesses and what we want to accomplish, we often fall short on making the behavior changes necessary to transform those good intentions into reality.
The only way to reach your goals, be it increasing income, getting more deals, attracting new clients, and establishing a better life for you and/or your family is by making the changes necessary to achieve those things.
Old Habits Really Do Die Hard
One of the reasons making changes is so difficult, is that we expect to make a 180-degree paradigm shift in how we act and what we do, instantaneously. What we fail to realize, however, is that these behaviors were shaped and molded by experiences over the course of (likely) decades.
These behaviors are ingrained into your psyche, even subconsciously. The body and mind LOVE repeat behaviors. Its easy, comfortable, and routine.
Let’s say you’ve been waking up at 9am every day for a decade. Now let’s say you have set a goal to get up at 6am to get more done and seize the day. You do this. It works…for a few days. Then you feel exhausted, worn out, and overwhelmed. You decide to sleep in to ‘catch up’ and before you know it, BAM! The new behavior is tossed out the window.
Everyone will tell you to “change your behaviors”. But what they don’t tell you is that:
1. It’s not Easy
2. It’s a process, not a simple flip of the switch
3. It’s ok to fail and start over
Lack of an Accountability Circle
Another leading reason real estate agents fail to effect behavioral change is that they:
1. Don’t tell anyone about their goals
2. Don’t have anyone holding them accountable
3. Lack of a solid support system
Have you talked to your business partner, colleagues, family or friends about your goals for 2021? What about with your broker or manager? How about with your coach?
Talking about your goals and the changes you want to make can be scary. Once they are ‘out there in the world’ they are real, not just to you, but now to others who are expecting you to succeed.
Although a difficult step for some, developing a circle of accountability can provide motivation, encouragement and much needed support as you work through the trials and tribulations of change.
Too Afraid to Ask for Help
No man (or woman) is an island. As a real estate agent, you have a lot on your plate. From professional aspirations and challenges, to personal obligations. You can’t do it all on your own. Not without burning out and fizzling to a stop.
Asking for help can be a hard thing to do, especially for those of us always doing for ‘others’ or who have a type-A personality. Break past your comfort zone and make sure you have a support system in place to help you through the rough spots. When you feel like there’s no point, or when you just don’t have the energy, it is these people who will give you the support to carry on and get it done.
Defining Your Action Steps
You know the behavior that needs to change. You know what it needs to look like once modified. But what steps are needed to help you get there?
This is a critical component of any behavior change, yet one that is often overlooked.
Example: You want to wake up by 6am
Example Action Steps:
- Turn off all ‘blue light devices’ (i.e. cell phone, tablets, etc.) by 9pm
- Develop a consistent pre-bed routine (brush teeth, stretch, read a book for 20min etc.)
- No coffee past 4pm
- And so on…
Changing Behavior as a Real Estate Agent Might be Hard, But Not Impossible
By following the tips in this guide, and partnering with a leading real estate coach like our team, you can put yourself in the best possible situation for growth (both personal and professional).
Changing behaviors takes effort, dedication, time and accountability. If you find that you continually fall short of reaching or surpassing your goals, it might be time to give us a call.
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