Over the last 2 months, I laid out for you the characteristics of an Elite Level Producer, which we now call an ELP. We covered how the ELPs make up just the top 3% of producers in any field and studies have shown that they can outproduce the remaining 97% by up to as much as 10x. ELPs have goals and they have a plan to execute on those goals. I went a little deeper, as you know, and covered the 7 characteristics of ELPs as I see them:
Those characteristics are:
- CLARITY. They know what they want. They know what life they want to live. It is clearly defined. They spend a lot of time thinking.
- AWARENESS. They know their strengths and weaknesses. They have answers to questions before they are asked. They eliminate those things that are not helping them become elite.
- COMMITMENT. They run a business, not a hobby. They want to be great. They are uber focused on meeting their goals and solving their problems.
- CONSISTENT. They have success as a lifestyle in all areas of their life. They show up every day and get after it.
- SKILL. They are focused on improving in all areas of their life and business. They have self-development goals to improve their skills and mindset.
- INNOVATIVE. They see where “the puck is going to be” in their business and their market. They adapt to meet the needs of their clients.
- PATIENT. They “plant in the spring and harvest in the fall.” They realize that anything worthwhile takes time and they are willing to wait.
So, you might ask me, “Jim, I understand these characteristics but HOW do I put them all together? Where do I start?”
This is why coaches and mentors exist. Coaches exist to take out all of the noise and “editorialize” the process down to what works. So, over the next few months and maybe until the end of the year, step by step, I will show you “The How!” There is a formula and I plan to give it to you it in bits and pieces over the coming weeks.
Right now you might be on a really good path, but the next 15 to 20 MMPTs will still benefit you. Maybe you’ve been in a rut for a while or maybe that business has plateaued or maybe you’re newer to the business… the next 15 to 20 calls will definitely develop the path needed for you to create momentum. I’ll warn you though, it’s not sexy. A lot of what I am going to teach you requires consistency. It can get boring doing the same things over and over, but in time, it will create big rewards for you. It’s proven - those that can execute on the boring without getting distracted win over the long haul.
Before I get into the details, I need to remind everyone of one incredibly important detail about being an Elite Level Producer. Society, the industry, nor anyone else can decide the metrics of what an ELP means for an individual person. You need to define what being an ELP means to you. Being an ELP is defined by how you execute on your vision, not the amount of your production. Let me say that again because it is super-important. Being ELITE is defined by the level of commitment you put towards chasing who you want to be and how you want to live. The 97% don’t put the time and effort into defining what they want so they never fully commit to anything. It could be that they’ve never been taught THE HOW. So, if you stick with me and consume the content over the next several months, you’ll learn THE HOW and you will have the knowledge of how to become your personalized version of an Elite Level Producer. I will literally be doing an enhanced version of my “Take Flight” course in 15-minute segments.
So, some of this content will be somewhat redundant if you’ve been around me for a while, but you will find a lot on each call that will be new to you as well. The good news is that we learn through repetition so use the content as a reminder or maybe audit yourself against what I am teaching. Are you on track? Do you need to put some effort into that area of your life or business?
There is the cascading effect and framework on how we will approach this time together.
Step 1: You need to define 2 things: Who do you want to become and how do you want to live? Your answers to these questions will be the foundation of your 3 and 10-year visions for your life.
Step 2: You need to define your immediate 1-year goals and quarterly goals. These roll up to support your longer-term goals
Step 3: You need to build the systems, habits, routines, rituals and boundaries that support your immediate and 1-year goals.
So, the entire focus is to help you create a daily, weekly, and monthly operating system for your business, that if done consistently, will help you live the life you want to live and be the person you want to be.
We will spend the vast majority of our calls on the systems, habits, routines, rituals, and boundaries part of the equation… Step 3.
MY “COVID CLARITY” is the realization of how this "cascading effect” is so powerful. After I was able to settle into the new routine and craziness that March and April brought us, I was able to focus on what all of this meant. How is our business going to change POST-pandemic? During this time, I’ve read and really studied 3 incredible books. All 3 come with similar but different approaches and all 3 have been super important to me:
“The Road Less Stupid” by Keith Cunningham
“The Buddha and the Badass” by Vishen Lakhiani
“Atomic Habits” by James Clear
I highly recommend you put all 3 on your list. All 3 gave me a tremendous amount of insight and validation and pushed me to further dial in what it takes to be an elite manager, effective coach and mentor and to bring a better version of myself to my family. They have been amazing additions to all of the great books I’ve read over the years. As we progress through the remainder of 2020, I’m sure I’ll have more “must reads,” but for now, add these to your list.
Just asking myself the questions, “Who do I want to be and how do I want to live?” has motivated me to a completely different level, especially considering that I am in Inning #7 of my career.
It doesn’t matter what age you are or how long you’ve been in the business, this strategy still applies. It’s crazy how all of this starts by asking yourself 2 incredibly simple questions:
- Who do you want to be?
- How do you want to live?
These 2 questions are your fuel. They really are the foundation for everything else you want to accomplish.
If you continue to ask yourself those questions over the course of your life and business and use the cascading framework we will discuss in detail, it will be almost impossible not to become elite.
I’ll spend next week on Steps 1 and Step 2, but like I said, most of the calls will be spent on the systems, habit, routines, rituals, and boundaries.
Your homework for the week is to buy one of the 3 books I suggested and start reading.
Grab a journal and start writing down:
- Who do I want to be?
- How do I want to live?
Also, if you don’t yet have an accountability partner, this might just be the time to identify someone that can push you.
Team, I’m excited to get started with you. Let’s make the last half of 2020 a chapter of great growth and adaptation to change.
