Begin With The End In Mind
If you have taken any sort of class on goal setting or business planing you have probably heard this phrase before. Basically it is about deciding what you want and then working backwards to determine which tasks are necessary to accomplish the goal and focusing on those tasks each day.
Gary and I have had many financial discussions in the last few months. Our income is great, but it is not the same as it was a year or two ago. Many of these conversations have been good and long overdue. I had a light bulb moment last week, though, and the phrase, ‘begin with the end in mind’ took on new meaning for me. About a year and a half ago when the market started to turn I had a personal assistant. In all honesty I held on to the assistant for 6 months longer than I should have. Why did I do that? For a number of reasons. I wanted to be good to my employee. I wanted to be positive and know that if I did all of the right things it would turn around quickly and all would be okay. The result, I am still paying on debt that I incured while struggling to pay her salary.
The lesson ~ in the heat of the moment it is often difficult to see what is truly going on and the effect that it is having. In beginning with the end in mind, however, going forward when I have an assistant again I will be setting parameters for myself BEFORE I hire someone. I will determine how much I am required to bring in each month in order to warrant the assistant’s salary. If my income dips below that for 3 consecutive months it will be time to lay off the assistant.
It may seem harsh but I believe that it is vitally important. I have seen many people struggling financially recently and in every case one of the biggest things that I have seen is people not responding quickly enough to rising debt and shrinking incomes. So set your parameters up front and stick to them.
Signup to receive Nicole's blog posts via email weekly:
Other Posts
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…
It’s Okay For Things To Be Different
I often find myself comparing things. I compare my business this year to years past.I compare my health and fitness to where I was 10 years ago.I compare how I show up and experience different life events. On the one hand – it makes perfect sense. Our brains crave predictability. It calms our nervous system.…
I Used To Be So Afraid Of This…
I used to dread client conversations. Especially pricing conversations with sellers in a softer market, like we are in right now. I was afraid of letting them down. It came up this week with a new listing. They bought at the height of the market in 2022. Today’s prices are lower than that. How do…
What If Your Income Didn’t Depend On The Market?
There are multiple markets occurring right now – in the same cities, on the same streets. Sellers are experiencing it one way. Buyers are experiencing it another. And agents? All over the board. Same market. Completely different results. So what’s the difference? What you believe. What you look for. And how you show up. Two…
Permission To Fall Apart: The Truth About Resetting Your Energy
What if your next breakthrough is on the other side of your next melt down? There’s a side to energy and mindset work that no one talks about. Most teachings only talk about being positive. As in – ignore whatever you truly feel and pretend everything is amazing in hopes that you eventually believe it.…