What If The Contingency Plan IS The Plan
You’ve heard it before…
Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans
Rarely does a week go the way I thought it would. Each Monday I diligently map out my schedule, and then a client wants to list their house and we need to schedule the cleaner / stager / etc, a buyer goes under contract and we need to schedule an inspection, it’s a school holiday – and now the boys are home.
All things that are good, and important, but can make it difficult to stay on task. Especially when you didn’t want to do your FORD calls in the first place and are only too happy to get side tracked.
Before you know it, you are super busy, and you haven’t previewed a house, called a client, or written a note card in weeks. In the short term it leaves you feeling frazzled and out of control. In the long term it creates dry spells in your business and you realize that you’ve been running around putting out fires for months, but haven’t done anything to generate new business.
What if curve balls didn’t throw us off balance?
What if they were part of the plan to begin with?
Here’s what I mean:
- There are 12 months in the year, but my business plan works on a 10 month year. Even in my best years, there are a few periods where things aren’t clicking. If I build that into my plan, then I don’t get discouraged.
- I plan my week based on 4 days of productivity. I usually work 5, but that means I’ve got space to shift things around if opportunities for new client meetings show up, or I want to work on my business, or meet up with a friend for lunch.
- Even if I know a meeting will only take an hour, I allow 2. Then I am present with my client vs watching the clock, there’s breathing space if traffic is bad, or heaven forbid I have time to grab a bite to eat before my next meeting.
Building a contingency plan into your every day life isn’t about assuming things will go wrong, but rather helping them to go right.
How can you create space in your schedule for whatever pops up this week?
To your success!
Nicole
*The Marketing + Systems = Success mentorship group is officially full. If you could use some help with your plan, though, stay tuned. We’ve got the perfect thing coming to get you going.
Signup to receive Nicole's blog posts via email weekly:
Other Posts
Letter to My Younger Self
Today is my birthday. For me, birthdays are a beautiful mix of celebration, anticipation and reflection. This post is dedicated to reflections. Things I wish I could tell my younger self. Imposter syndrome is normal! You’ve spent so much time doubting yourself. Feeling like everyone else knows what they are doing while you’re still trying…
Read More
Managing the Adrenaline / Emotional Roller Coaster of Real Estate
Closings, getting mutual on a contract, receiving a referral – there are lots of wins in real estate. Each one brings a shot of adrenaline that feels amazing. However, those moments are often short lived, with a lot of space in between. If you aren’t careful that space can fill with self doubt, insecurity or…
Read More
Why Proving Yourself Is A Bad Idea
I competed on a listing this week that I didn’t get. It was a great one too – awesome house, great clients. It was one I really wanted. When I got done pouting I took a few minutes to ask myself, ‘where did it go wrong’? Our first appointment was amazing! The second one, not…
Read More
The Secret To Success: How Awareness Transforms Everything
‘The first step towards change is awareness. The second step is acceptance. Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.’ – Source Unknown Last week focused on letting go of the need to play catch up. The only thing that matters is focusing on the present moment. The…
Read More
Don’t Try To Catch Up – Just Start Where You Are
I’ve spent the last few days in Virginia at my favorite real estate conference, Genuine Hustle, where I had the honor of presenting a session on asking powerful questions. It’s the most authentic, vulnerable, supportive and all around amazing group of agents that I’ve ever spent time with. They haven’t released the location or dates…
Read More
This Phone Call Brings In The Most Referrals
Can calls really translate into referrals? Are some more effective than others? When we work with clients it’s easy to go into ‘get it done’ mode. We focus on getting from contract to closing as quickly and smoothly as possible. And to be fair, that’s a big part of what our clients hire us to…
Read More
What if EVERYTHING is Working Out For You?
What happens when you have a ‘set back’ ? Does it send you into a tail spin of fear and insecurity? Do you brush it off and move on? Or – Do you view it as confirmation that you ARE on the right path, realize it wasn’t the right opportunity or situation for you, and…
Read More
Don’t Do This Alone
I was lucky enough to be invited to mastermind with these amazing agents for a few days this week. We talked business, but it was so much more than that. We talked about being intentional with our lives, the hours we worked, the struggles we face, our investment strategies (owning rental real estate of one…
Read More
Collaboration Over Competition, This Is Your Chance To Learn From The Best
What if you could stop over thinking how to run your business? What if you knew exactly what other agents do to attract clients? This is your chance! Season 2 of Secrets of Attracting Clients starts January 27th and I’m super excited for this years line up! We have 12 amazing sessions, all with ideas…
Read More
How Lowering Your Bar Can Help You Reach Your Goals
January holds a special mix of big dreams and deep insecurity for a lot of agents. If you find yourself toggling between the two – know that you’re not alone. We usually associate big dreams with big actions. So we make long to do lists as proof of our commitment to increasing our income. Often…
Read More