There are 6 months left in 2023. You can still win the year

In these times, double down — on your skills, on your knowledge, on you. Join us Aug. 8-10 at Inman Connect Las Vegas to lean into the shift and learn from the best. Get your ticket now for the best price.

As we move through the halfway mark of the year, it’s the perfect time to ignite our motivation and visualize the win for the remaining six months. It’s an opportunity to reflect on our progress so far, recalibrate our goals and take action to make the rest of the year truly remarkable.

Take a moment to imagine what success looks like for you by the end of this year. Envision the achievements you desire, the personal growth you aspire to and the impact you want to make. Embrace the power of visualization as a driving force to propel you forward and manifest your dreams into reality.

Revisit your 2023 resolutions

“If we are to go forward today, we’ve got to go back and rediscover some mighty precious values that we’ve left behind.” 

— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

You no doubt started January on a hopeful note, making plans for the new year and feeling good about the possibilities. Even though late 2022 was slow for many, the potential for 2023 was palpable.

Some agents have left the business since then, while others have worked the plan they made for this year and have seen their businesses grow. At DOORA, we’ve been thrilled with our year-over-year progress. 

What made the difference for us? We doubled down on the things we believe in: education, communication and inspiration. We worked together on our marketing and content creation. Most of all, we built a cohesive group of agents within a well-defined culture. 

While, for many, the whole orientation for 2023 has been about cost-cutting, I’d encourage you to look at the things you need to double up on in your business. If you’re cutting the very things that define your business and make you great, you’re hurting yourself in the long run.

Ask yourself some centering questions

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” 

— Eleanor Roosevelt

I recently asked my agents to sit down with me and talk about their plans for the rest of 2023. We put our conversations on video to formalize our commitment and create a reminder for greater accountability. 

In the videos, I asked each agent the following questions:

1. What specific goals have you set for yourself for the remainder of the year?
2. How do these goals align with your long-term vision and purpose?
3. What steps are you committed to taking to ensure you achieve these goals?
4. What obstacles or challenges do you anticipate along the way, and how do you plan to overcome them?
5. How do you plan to celebrate your successes, no matter how big or small?

Please note that last question. Even if you’re struggling, you need to find ways to celebrate the wins. If you feel that there are no wins, you need to figure out whether the problem is your practice or your perception.

Have you gotten so focused on the struggles of 2023 that you’ve failed to acknowledge your victories? Which of these things has happened to you this year:

• You’ve gotten a great testimonial from a former client.
• You’ve converted a long-time lead into a current client.
• You’ve started a blog, podcast or video content strategy.
• You’ve gained a new certification or designation.
• You’ve pursued advanced studies or new continuing education.
• You’ve met a new mentor or have started mentoring someone else.
• You’ve started serving on a committee or in leadership at your association.
• You’ve moved from agent to team leader or broker.
• You’ve read a book that gave you a whole new perspective.
• You’ve had a special time of celebration or vacation with your family.

The possibilities are endless for acknowledging the good things in your personal and professional life. You just have to make sure you are focusing on them so that you can celebrate them and use them as fuel to stay motivated.

Create a gameplan for making your vision a reality

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

So you’ve gotten back in touch with your goals and made an honest assessment of where you are right now. How do you take your intentions forward and create a gameplan that can help you manifest them?

Make your goals SMART

Ensure that your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). This will help you create a framework and develop a roadmap for action-oriented change. Take larger goals and break them down into mini-goals to make them more manageable.

Create an action plan

Develop a detailed plan of action with specific steps that help you achieve the goals you’ve defined. Again, break larger goals into smaller milestones or task lists, with firm deadlines. This is the point at which you’ll want to consider the resources, skills and support you’ll need to accomplish your goals and begin to make arrangements to obtain what you need.

Keep yourself focused and motivated

This is, of course, the hardest part for many of us. Set aside a few minutes each day to remind yourself of your goals and the reasons you want to achieve them. Visualize the end result and the positive outcomes that will result. Track your progress in a journal or on a calendar and, here again, celebrate those victories to stay motivated and confident.

Take action consistently

This is why you want to time-peg your plan: Having multiple deadlines will help ensure that you don’t get bogged down in day-to-day tasks and let your plan go by the wayside. Consistent action is essential, both to accomplish your tasks and to keep you motivated. Even if you take days off or a vacation, build in some time each day to connect with your goals and take small incremental steps toward achieving them.

Adapt and learn as you go

It’s a great idea to have an accountability partner so that you can gain valuable feedback as you move through the process you’ve outlined. Adapt your approach as needed, and embrace the opportunities for growth and learning that arise along your path. Don’t forget to record your progress so that you can reflect on it and make necessary changes.

As we embark on the second half of the year, let’s embrace the opportunity to transform our visions into reality. Stay committed, remain resilient and never lose sight of the fire within you. 

The journey may have challenges, but the destination is worth every step. Let’s make the rest of this year an extraordinary chapter in our lives.