A commentary by Tami Bonnell, CEO, EXIT Realty Corp. International
I believe that most people want to be in control of their lives, whatever that means to them. They want the freedom to make their own decisions and the financial means to provide for those choices. The problem is, most people don’t actually know what they want, much less how to go about getting it, so they live a variation of the same day for years, sunrise to sunset, by default.
Job One is figuring out what you want. Not what you fantasize about, but what you want to attract into your life. Picture it, dream about it, visualize it and hope. You’re all set now, right? Wave a magic wand, spin three times and behold the Ferrari in your driveway. Um, no. How does that old English proverb go? “If horses were wishes, beggars would ride.”
All joking aside, anyone who has been in the business world for any length of time has been taught how to set goals. We all know they have to be measurable, achievable and time-specific. So why aren’t more people in control of their lives and achieving their goals? I believe it’s because they don’t take the time every six weeks to break them down, take action, keep doing what works and improve or eliminate the rest.
If my goals involve improved health, I start off by putting on my sneakers in the morning and I walk. I measure my progress, telephone pole by telephone pole and I strive to pass one more tomorrow. If I want to earn $120,000 year as a real estate salesperson and the average commission end in my town is $5,000, I have to close 24 transactions, or an average of two per month. But this alone, isn’t enough. Every six weeks, set time aside to work on all areas of your life from your health to your relationships to your business and more; research, plan and analyze what’s working and do more of that. Figure out what’s not working so you can redirect that time and money more effectively. Measure every single social event, social media initiative, training class – everything – to figure out your ROI. Try, fail, adjust. Try, fail, adjust. Try, succeed.
If the Ferrari you dream of is actually better health, closer relationships, more money, the opportunity to give back – whatever it is – you can attract it into your life by first identifying it, then visualizing it, then planning, taking action and moving forward with deliberate intent. This is what it means to truly be in control of your life.
