Setting Goals, Looking Back to Move Forward
It’s that time of year again. As we start nearing the end of 2008 and looking forward to 2009 now is the perfect time to start thinking about your goals for the up coming year. What do you want to accomplish? What are your dreams?
I was chatting with an agent in my office yesterday and we were talking about our business goals for the upcoming year. I don’t know about you, but patience is not a virtue that I possess large amounts of. When I set a goal to do ‘x’ amount of business in the next 12 months, secretly and am hoping and expecting that it will really happen in the next 3 months and then I can spend the next 9 months on a beach somewhere soaking up sun and enjoying drinks with umbrellas in them! I’m pretty good at achieving my goals, but so far, not that good. So how do you manage your emotions and expectations when you get into the GAP? The GAP is defined as the space between when you set a goal and when it actually happens. How do you stay positive about moving forward and knowing that it will be there when it hasn’t happened yet?
As I was pondering this I started to look back into my past and realized some pretty interesting things. Turns out I am pretty darn good at this whole achieving my goals thing. Here are some examples:
~ When I first moved to the Seattle area as was not overly familiar with the different cities and what they offered I remember driving down 108th Ave in Kirkland and thinking that this would be a nice place to live some day. Today I live 2 blocks from where I was when I had that thought. And to make it even more interesting, when we were looking for houses we were actually looking in Bellevue, and yet we still ended up living in Kirkland!
~ When I was pregnant with Ryan, our second son, I ended up in the hospital at 34 weeks with pre term labor. I remember saying a prayer and asking for my pregnancy to go at least 3 more weeks. (Babies are considered full term and healthy anytime after 37 weeks.) Ryan was born 3 weeks and 3 days later healthy as can be.
~ When I was in college, years ago, I remember having a conversation with friends about what we expected our starting salaries would be in our new jobs. I said that I would expect to make at least $40,000. My first year in real estate I made $39,986.78.
Even just typing these things out makes me smile and fills me with confidence. My guess is that each and every one of you has similar stories like this. I would encourage you to write these down somewhere and take a look at them whenever you are getting anxious about accomplishing a goal. I guarantee that it will boost your confidence and make you feel like you can conquer the world!
Signup to receive Nicole's blog posts via email weekly:
Other Posts
It’s Not Just Your Story – It’s Everyone Else’s Too
I’ve spent years working on my own limiting beliefs — but I discovered one at the Abraham Hicks workshop last weekend that I had completely missed. Esther, aka Abraham Hicks, has been a leader in mindset, energy, and attraction for decades. My mom actually took my sister and me to a workshop 30 years ago,…
Bet On Yourself VS The Market
Last week I shared how the end of August is a weird time – wanting to savor summer, while also shifting back into work mode. Turns out I’m not the only one this happens to! Thank you for all of the notes and feedback. I’ve found that when I’m not taking action, I spend WAY…
I Used To Dread The Last 2 Weeks Of August
Thirty years in real estate has taught me a lot of things. One of the best is this: I can finally see my own patterns. Like the one where I get twitchy every year mid-August. Part of me wants summer to stretch on forever. Part of me is itching for routine, order, and the satisfaction…
Beliefs = Actions = Results – It Matters Where You Start
August is an interesting month for me. I’m savoring the relaxed pace of summer, while also starting to think about Fall and shifting back into work mode. With a shift in focus I naturally start wondering what will happen. Will I be busy? Where will my clients come from? Will they be buyers or sellers?…
What Do You LOVE About Your Business?
I’m back!!! There’s been a lot going on lately, (more on that in a later post) and it’s been a few weeks since I’ve sent you a note. Needless to say, I’ve missed you! I’ve been moving through a lot of ‘life’ lately, and there’s been a common thread in my business that has surprised…
How Do You Want Summer To Feel?
Summer is often a season of expectations not meeting reality. I used to think my perfect summer meant iced tea on the patio while reading every day. For the record, that’s never happened. And for a while, I felt bad about it — like I was missing out, like I was doing summer wrong. Until…
You’re Not Behind, There Are Infinite Options
Your in box is about to fill up with emails about us being 1/2 through the year. You know – the ones that ask if you’re on track with your goals, and offer a solution to whip you into shape for the next 6 months. If you are having a great year – I celebrate…
Letting Go Of The Hustle Sounds Great, But You’ve Got a Business To Run
To be clear, I am 100% for less hustle, more flow, manifesting, receiving, regulating my nervous system, and letting things be easier. But somewhere between: “That sounds amazing” and “I’m a real estate agent – I need to generate clients and sell houses to earn an income” Things can get confusing. Because no matter how…
The Beauty of Not Doing It Alone
Thank you for being part of this community! I learned something beautiful and powerful last week. It was vulnerable to post about recalibrating, and being in the messy middle of grieving. Yet the conversations, emails, texts and notes have meant to much. To know that we are not alone is one of the greatest gifts…
Recalibrate In a Business That Runs 24/7
It happens to me every year about this time. The need to recalibrate. In a business that can run 24/7 – it’s easy to look up one day and realize, your batteries are drained and there’s no break in sight. Side note – It doesn’t have to be a 24/7 thing, but that’s a topic…