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Starting the Year Strong

Eric Beise | Realtor

Believe it or not, 2020 is almost over! How did it go for you? 

In spite of the devastation caused by the pandemic, did you hit your goals – or even exceed them? Or was it a tough year for you? 

Regardless of what happened in 2020, now is the time to wipe the slate clean. To start fresh. Regardless of whether 2020 was your best or your worst year ever, the question is: how will you make the most of 2021? 

Here are three tips to make this your best year ever:

1) Set clear and inspiring goals

What would you attempt this year in your business if you knew you couldn’t fail? Would you add 10 units, or 100 units to your investment portfolio? What would this be for you? Be specific. 

Once you have nailed down what you really want, commit. Once you truly commit that you will accomplish a goal, the path will become clear. Make sure this is something you are actually aligned with and excited about.

Beyond your business endeavors, what other goals do you have that are worth tracking? Perhaps you want to work out a certain number of days per week, or save a certain amount of money, or give a certain amount, etc. Write them all down. 

Some people prefer to only have 1 or 2 big goals for their year, but if you are like me you value pursuing excellence in multiple areas of your life. Therefore, it can be perfectly reasonable to have as many as 7-10 goals at a time.

2) Automate everything possible – systematize the rest

Once your goals are crystal clear, you need to make achieving them as easy as possible. The two best ways to do this are automation and systemization. 

Automation is pretty obvious. If you say you want to save or give 10%, simply set up an automatic bank transfer every month for that amount. Set it and forget it. Do this for any of your goals you possibly can. 

Systematizing can be a bit more difficult because it takes more intention. However, it isn’t rocket science! 

Let’s say you want to purchase two investment properties this year. You plan to buy them under market value so you can do a bit of rehab and later refinance to get your money back. Based on your experience, closing one such deal will require analyzing approximately 100 properties and putting offers in on about 10. 

If you want to do this twice, you will need to analyze approximately 200 properties in the year, which is actually only about 4 per week! The big question now is “when?” When in your week will you purposefully schedule enough time to analyze 4 properties? 

Pick a time, and put it on your calendar. Do this for all of your goals. Without a system, a goal is just a wish that likely won’t come true. 

3) Daily visualize yourself achieving your goals

Finally, if you want to make 2021 your best year ever, you need to daily visualize yourself achieving your goals. It may be helpful to actually write out by hand all of your goals every single morning to keep them top of mind. Then picture yourself on December 31, 2021 being able to look back having accomplished every single one. 

This practice will keep your goals top of mind, keep you feeling excited and motivated, and help you make decisions today in keeping with the type of person you want to become. 

Most New Year’s Resolutions fail in the first few weeks. Don’t be a statistic. Follow these three steps and I guarantee that 2021 will be a year to remember.  

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