What is Your Game Plan for 2012?

The 7 Habits of a Highly Effective Agent

1. Get up early. Schedule one early morning a week at the office. The quiet will allow you to finish work you may routinely delay, such as paperwork. Exercising in the morning can also be a great way to increase your energy level and set the tone for the day.

2. Be on time. Your punctuality greatly affects how your clients and colleagues perceive you as a professional. Simply being on time shows your clients that they are valuable to you. The best way to make sure you are punctual is to avoid over-scheduling yourself and allow for a little extra time in between appointments.

3. Practice success habits. Don’t be afraid to seek support, and always be prepared to give support. When the market is challenging, you need to consistently network and increase your lead generation activities like Pop-Bys, personal notes and phone calls.

4. Learn from the best. Use all the tools available to you, including spending time with your coach or mentor, educating yourself with books, tapes and CDs, attending seminars and classes and learning from other business professionals and associates.

5. Have written goals. Written goals play a powerful role in keeping you motivated. For the best results, place a sheet with your goals written down in a place where you can see them throughout the day or create a goal board and display it in your office.

6. Follow through on details. Part of your job is to keep your clients informed and in touch with the progress of their transaction. Establish a system to update your clients on their listing, appraisals, offers and other important information.

7. Track your progress. Once you have identified your specific goals, determine how to achieve them through your actions and activities. Track and measure your progress often so you can celebrate wins or adjust your routine to meet your goals.

Starting Your Game Plan for the New Year.

Gearing up for your new year begins with good habits. Here are some essentials:

• Check in with your clients often and make sure their needs are being met. Never give the impression that you are too busy for your clients or any future referrals.

• Your business is at-risk if you over-promise and under-deliver. If you are organized and focused, you will know what you can and cannot accomplish.

• Be disciplined in the tasks you take on and ensure you are well prepared to achieve the objective. Do not create false expectations for your clients: get price reductions as needed, and market and promote your listings to your database and community!

• Sell yourself, but remember to keep your work life and your personal life well balanced. Discipline in these areas will promote more effective work habits and broaden your client base.

Start By Creating New Habits.

Give It 30 Days

New habits aren’t created instantly––it takes time to work something new into your everyday routine. Often your issue will be to learn to master a new task, while other times it will be as basic as remembering to accomplish a task or fit it into an already busy day. After 30 days of implementing new tasks, they will become freshly-formed habits.

Be Consistent

It’s simple: if you’re trying to create a new habit, the best way to accomplish this is to do it consistently.

Newly formed habits are more likely to stick if you dive right in and make them part of your routine. Skipping a day or two establishes a mentality that it’s OK to slide every now and then, and it may snowball into the complete abandonment of your new habit.

Start Slow

Often building up to your goal is beneficial. For example, if your goal is to exercise for 90 minutes daily,  begin with 30 minutes and work your way up. This is especially true for ambitious goals. If you start too big, you’re more likely to give up early. Small steps lead to lasting changes.

Write It Down

A commitment to a new habit doesn’t mean much if it isn’t put on paper. Write down your goals, how you will accomplish them (this is where your habits come in) and why you need to stick with them. Refer to this list frequently to stay on task.

Remember Why It’s Important

Creating a new habit is equal parts knowledge (what to do and why), skill (how to do it) and motivation (the want to do it). A little extra motivation can go a long way when it comes to developing new habits. Well-placed photographs or notes that inspire you can keep you moving forward.

Find a Partner

Sometimes the best way to keep from quitting is to be held accountable by a friend, colleague or coach. This works even better if you are both working on implementing the same habit—you can encourage each other in the pursuit!

Connect with Role Models

This is similar to finding a partner, but instead of just keeping you accountable, your role model will inspire you through his or her example of success. Furthermore, spending time with the right people will strengthen your resolve. For example, if you’re trying to quit smoking, staying in contact with a fellow ex-smoker will help you maintain a tobacco-free lifestyle.

Eddie Brown 2011