In this Pep Talk, I will challenge you to prepare your mind and ready your habits, rituals, systems, and processes for 2023. A year that will require an elevated version of you to hold, serve, or sustain continued growth. I am getting a lot of requests for private discussions concerning the state of the market and fears about next year, and my message is consistent.
The reality is that it will most likely be a challenging year for those who have not prepared properly. There will be headwinds, no doubt, but that does not mean everyone will struggle. Many of you will have breakout years because of the effort you put in during previous years. I personally love markets like this because they tend to highlight the true industry professionals. Hobbyists, looking for the easy and quick money, get exposed. So, expect me as your leader, mentor, coach to put out a lot of "real talk" during this period. These markets are not for the faint of heart and I’m not going to sugar coat what it will take to survive and thrive.
Shifting markets happen about every 8-12 years, and the individuals that will survive and thrive create and convert opportunities. It will require a different kind of productivity, one that requires focus and efficient effort. I want to rewind back to 2015 where I was highly impacted by an online course that Darren Hardy released. It's called "Insane Productivity.” I think today's call is a perfect time for me to go back into the vault and share with you a few things I learned from that course and marry it with what I have been teaching recently on these calls. He talks about the 4 different kinds of employees/entrepreneurs that make up a work force. You've got the…
Unengaged: They don't show up. These are the people that are quietly quitting right now.
Over-motivated, Under-achiever: They read all of the books, attend seminars, listen to all of the current podcasts but do nothing with what they learn.
Over-motivated, Overwhelmed, Overachiever: Successful because of brute force and effort. They are prone to burnout.
Stunningly Successful, Super Achiever: Extraordinary results with limited time and effort. They build it and guide it. They focus only on what is important. My term for this person is an ELITE LEVEL PRODUCER (ELP), that top 3%.
Darren goes on to discuss the primary difference between a Stunningly Successful, Super Achiever and the productivity types of different people. Distractions are the difference. Super achievers limit distractions.
Where do most brokers become distracted?
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Screen time that is not intentional.
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Watching the news.
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Clutter.
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A friend group that is not consistent with your goals and vision.
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Working with the 20% of clients that steal 80% of your joy.
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No boundaries around your time.
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Lead generation strategies that are time consuming with limited ROI.
You need to limit distractions and be insanely focused to compete in today's market. This shifting market has moved from speed to skill and it will require you to scale your skills to keep up with your competition.
How?
Enter the "12 Week Year" planning process. To accomplish the level of focus you’ll need in the new market reality, you have to start executing in a different way and the "12 Week Year" process is how you need to execute. Each quarter, you take a personal and professional initiative and dominate that subject matter until you are proficient in it. Each quarter, you keep stacking successes until you don't recognize your life or your business.
If you are still wondering where to start with your business and survive and thrive in 2023, start in one of the 5 pillars I base all of my content on:
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Mindset/Vision/Goals/Execution
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Systems, Processes, Habits and Routines
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"3 Rocks of Marketing” - lead generation (the ‘before’ section of the sales funnel)
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"Deliver and Leverage" - turn 1 transaction into 3 (the ‘during’ section of the sales funnel)
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"Relationship and Database Management" - Do you have a relationship with your Top 100? - (the ‘after’ section of your sales funnel)
Is there an area in your life and business that is "low hanging fruit?” Meaning that there is so much opportunity that it’s gone unrealized? Start there. Dedicate your 2023 annual theme to that/those areas of your life and business. The more skilled you are in your life and business, the less distracted you will be.
If this market has you shaken and distracted, I've got a mindset framing strategy that will help you plan for 2023. Simply take your debt service and expenses and calculate what you need to live for a year, double that number, and reverse engineer it into the production you need to hit by October 1 of 2023 to hit that required income. In these markets, your goal is to just not take a step back. Let the market cleanse out the hobbyists. When the market finds its footing, you will be in a much better place than before. Take the pressure off yourself and go execute and don't worry about 1 year. This is about a career not a year. If you focus and limit distractions, you will have the most productive and memorable year in your business. You'll learn so much more when there are headwinds than when the wind is at your back. If you've been waiting, for whatever reason, to put it all together, the next 12-15 months is your opportunity.
Stay focused. Limit distractions. Keep your mind right and you will win.
