On this 277th episode of Monday Morning Pep Talk, I’m sharing an epiphany that reshaped how I set intentions - not just quarterly, but daily and weekly too. Here’s the truth: for the past decade, I’ve been disciplined about goal setting. But even with that discipline, it often took me too long to find clarity during my daily and weekly planning sessions. I was asking good questions - but the right question was sitting in front of me the entire time. I just hadn’t latched onto it.
In this episode, I’ll walk you through the single question that changed everything for me, how I now use it to focus my execution, and I’ll share a few bonus strategies to help you apply it across your business and life.
Before I jump into today’s call, I want to remind you of my professional purpose: to help you, the full-service, full-fee Advisor, optimize your productivity and become the best version of yourself. Why? Because “Happy Advisors Sell More Real Estate.” I do that by teaching you how to handle the challenges and opportunities you face every day. When you can effectively manage the situations that arise daily in your business, you’ll be more productive and live a life that reflects the best version of yourself. My ask is that you listen as if you’re in a one-on-one coaching session with me, either in my office or on a call.
The 3-Year Vision Question
If you’ve been through Take Flight or you’ve been following these MMPTs, you know I subscribe to a 3-Year Vision Cycle powered by quarterly planning - a framework inspired by books like Traction by Gino Wickman and The 12 Week Year by Brian Moran.
To build that 3-Year Vision, I encouraged you to ask yourselves The Dan Sullivan Question:
“If we were having this discussion three years from today and you were looking back over those 3 years, what has to have happened - personally and professionally - for you to feel happy with your progress?”
It’s simple. It’s elegant. But when used with intention, it’s a sledgehammer. It helps you cut through the noise, fast. It forces clarity around how you want to live, who you want to become, and what kind of business you want to run.
During a recent coaching session, it hit me: Why don’t I ask myself a version of this question more often?
Why not bring that same clarity to each day, each week, each quarter?
How to Apply It
Use this framework to create daily, weekly, and quarterly intentions:
- Daily: “When I look back on today at 6:00 p.m., what would I need to have accomplished - personally and professionally - to feel like I made meaningful progress?”
- Weekly: “By this time next week, what would I need to have achieved - personally and professionally - to feel like I moved the needle?”
- Quarterly :“At the end of [insert quarter], what would need to be true - both personally and professionally - for me to feel like I won the quarter?”
This one question - asked through multiple time lenses - will create more clarity in less time than anything else I’ve used.
A Practical Example: Reconnecting with Your Top 100
Let’s bring this to life with a real-world scenario.
Many of you currently going through Take Flight are realizing it’s time to reconnect and rebuild your Top 100. Naturally, the questions start rolling in: "Where do I start?" "How do I reconnect without it feeling awkward or forced?"
Here’s the move: Use the framework I just shared. Assign this reconnection effort to a specific quarter. In most markets, Q3 and Q4 are best for reconnection. Q1 and Q2 are typically “harvest season,” where your earlier efforts turn into closings.
This process is impactful - but it takes time and intention. Commit to it as a quarterly project, then reverse engineer it into weekly and daily actions. Ask yourself the guiding question each step of the way to stay on track.
The Conversation Framework
Here’s a proven five-step script to help you reconnect:
Step 1: Call your past client. “Hi [Client Name], I have a quick market update about your home that I think you’ll want to hear. Call me when you have a minute.”
Step 2: When they call back: “It’s been five years since COVID shifted our local housing market. If you’re updating your financial statement, I see your home today being worth approximately [insert range].” Pause. Discuss.
Step 3: Then ask: “While I’ve got you - how is your home performing for you?” Let them talk. You’re listening for life changes.
Step 4: Wrap up the conversation with confidence. “Just know I’m here if you ever need anything.”
Step 5: Take copious notes, log everything in your CRM, and schedule any necessary follow-ups and actions.
Now imagine repeating that conversation across your Top 100. What’s the downside? What’s the upside? What kind of momentum could you create?
Final Thought
This week started with a single question - a tool to create clarity and intention around your goals. It ended with a tested strategy that can supercharge your business.
So let me leave you with this:
“If I executed on this reconnection process, what’s the downside? What’s the potential impact on my business?”
In my professional opinion, the answers you’ve been looking for are waiting on the other side of asking better questions.
