Lee Davenport

By: Lee Davenport, Ph.D

I hope this year is off to a great start!

If you’re reading this and your answer is, “Ummm… not quite” or if you’re feeling like you could already use a re-do, it might be time for a bit of self-coaching.

Honest reflection is a great way to assess where you’re at, where you want to be in business and how to get there. It gives you some accountability, and it provides a roadmap so you can see exactly what’s been happening and where you need to improve. It also shows you where you’re killing it already!

Why Now: “But I’m Not into Making New Year’s Resolutions”

I get it. Some of you may not give a flying fig about setting new year’s resolutions. That is not what this has to be. (Sidebar: although I must say there is a collective momentum in the air this time of year that is unmatched and may inspire those of us that thrive off group accountability).  I’m looking at you “Stable Mable,” which is what I call those with the DISC predominant personality of Steady.

Prior to tax season, and awards season getting into full swing, there is nothing like the start of the year to really assess how your previous year ended. Another good reason to do so is that typically we start planning for the year ahead in October through November of the previous year. While that’s important and necessary, there are often deals still pending, so we make projections based on those final deals. January is a great time to recalibrate with actual numbers to see the full picture. Then, you can figure out what needs to stay the same and what needs to change.

Personal Accountability: Questions to Coach Yourself

Start taking stock of your business by asking yourself some questions. Remember to be honest with yourself. These questions will provide you with a roadmap so long as you’re willing to be objective with yourself.

• What lead generation activities and other business practices worked best for you in 2022 that will still be relevant with the changing market? How can you continue those activities and perhaps make even more time for them?
• In what ways did your unique personality serve you well in 2022? How can you do more of that from now on?
• What became more important to you and what became less critical in 2022?
• What did you start and finish in 2022? What motivated you to accomplish this? **This uncovers motivation that you may need to leverage in 2023.
• What did you start and not finish in 2022? Does this need to be eliminated for 2023 or restarted with additional tools and/or support (e.g. a new CRM, hire/fire team members, (re)start coaching, etc.)?
• Which boundaries felt challenging to maintain in 2022?
• What is the most significant business lesson you learned in 2022? How can you apply this lesson to 2023?
• What word or phrase will guide your intentions in the new year?

What to Do Once You’ve Answered These Questions

Now, take those answers and either add them to your monthly (weekly or daily) calendar alerts (the pings and dings of my iPhone keep me on track) or write them on a visible calendar to help you keep these at the center of your daily business activities. In other words, please review these answers often to focus your thinking. We can get off track, and that’s okay. That’s how life and business work! Adding reminders for ourselves will keep bringing us back to the goals at hand. That way you are taking agency of your calendar instead of letting apathy, client crisis, the (necessary) day-to-day minutiae of sales and marketing or anything else hijack your strategy to get and stay off the “sales rollercoaster”… you know that horrible business ride that has the high of deals than the low of hearing crickets (some call this “feast or famine.”)

Make a plan to take action as well. Is there something that needs to change in your business so you can reach the level of success that you want? You have the information in front of you now, which is a great start, but it can’t end there. Figure out how to move toward your goals by creating small action steps that’ll get you there.

Remember: You Can Do This Anytime

But is January the only time to do this kind of business assessment? I would not be an international coach if I said it was. For my clients, we recalibrate at least monthly (and sometimes weekly for those who want that level of accountability). Now more than ever, constant recalibration is necessary given the market shifts over the last three years (but really, since “The Great Recession” began back in 2008). I have found that if we have a habit—James Clear calls them “Atomic Habits”—of aligning our business goals with our actual activities and results at least monthly, it is easier to stay off what I call the sales rollercoaster.

Dr. Lee Davenport is an Atlanta-based real estate coach who trains agents, teams, brokerages, and other business organizations on how to use today’s technology to work smarter. Join Lee’s free RE Tech Insider’s Club by visiting www.LearnWithLee.REALTOR.