On this 287th episode of my Monday Morning Pep Talk, we’re picking up where we left off last week with your Q3 Audit—but we’re doing so with deeper context. Because if you’re going to act on what you discovered in that audit, you need to understand where you are in the rhythm of the real estate year.
Before I jump into today’s call, I want to remind you of my purpose: to help you, the full-service, full-fee Advisor, become more productive and more fulfilled. Because happy advisors sell more real estate. Listen in like we’re one-on-one—this is your coaching session.
This business, like farming, has planting and harvesting seasons. And no matter where you work—Chicago, Canmore, Connecticut, or California—your market has a seasonal pattern. Whether driven by weather, local economies, school calendars, travel and tourism, or second-home migration, the cycles are real. The advisors who acknowledge that rhythm and plan around it don’t just survive—they thrive.
Here’s what’s true across nearly every market: Q1 and Q2 are your harvest months. That means your pipeline-building—your planting—happens daily, but there is a massive focus on it in Q4. Q3 is the one quarter that gives you the most flexibility to tackle big projects, and why I believe Q3—right now—is the most powerful and productive season of the year for advisors. It’s the moment between harvest and planting when you can finally lift your head, audit your business, and make strategic upgrades. This is your chance to do the deep work: systems, CRM, marketing, SOPs, financial planning, and yes—preloading your calendar with downtime and travel. (If this seasonal cycle isn't quite accurate for your market, adjust your harvest cycle as needed.)
Here’s what I know from a decade of coaching, training, and 27 years in this industry: high achievers always come out of a mid-year audit with clarity—but that clarity is fragile. Without a focused, time-bound execution plan, momentum fades and the opportunity slips. You get pulled back into the urgent. You default to the comfortable. So today’s MMPT is about building a simple framework to turn reflection into results. Think of it as your Q3 Action Plan—your personal playbook for tackling what matters most before the fall frenzy begins.
Your Q3 Action Plan: 7 Steps to Execute with Purpose
- Identify and Score Your Top Projects
Start with the 3–5 projects that surfaced in your Q3 Audit. But don’t stop there—score them using this simple but powerful filter I’ve used for years:
Ask yourself:
- On a scale of 1–10, how impactful will this project be? (10 = extremely impactful, 1 = no impact)
- On a scale of 1–10, how easy will this project be to implement? (10 = very easy, 1 = extremely difficult)
- On a scale of 1–10, how expensive will this project be to implement? (10 = no cost, 1 = very expensive)
Add the three scores together:
- 29–30 = Immediate “Hell Yes”
- 25–28 = Worthy of Q3 execution
- Below 25 = Not now. Maybe later
- Focus on the Highest Scores First
Once you've scored your projects, stack-rank them from highest to lowest. This next step is critical—fight the urge to do it all. Start at the top of the list and work your way down.
- Begin with your 29s and 30s. These are your no-brainers: high impact, low resistance, low cost.
- If you don’t have any, look at your 28s and 27s—but only if the ease and cost metrics are favorable.
- Ignore anything under 25 for now. Don’t dilute your focus.
Then ask yourself: Of these top-scoring projects, which three would change the trajectory of my business or life if I completed them in Q3?
Pick those three.
Those are your primary focus between now and September 30. Everything else can wait, be parked, or be delegated.
- Break Each into Micro-Projects
Don’t let priorities stay vague. “Fix my CRM” isn’t actionable. Instead, break it down into small components like:
- Audit tags and segments
- Launch my NEXT 10 strategy
- Build three drip campaigns for Top 100
When you chunk the work, it becomes actionable.
- Assign Each Priority a Primary Month
Give your quarter a rhythm:
- July: Assign your highest-scoring project
- August: Implement that project and move onto the next highly rated one
- September: Repeat until your projects are completed and implemented
Assign one big goal per month so you’re not trying to do everything at once.
- Schedule Your Focus Time Now and Stay Accountable
This step separates the pros from the procrastinators:
- Lock in 2–4 “deep work” blocks per week on your calendar. No appointments. No emails. Just you and the project.
- Guard this time like your business depends on it—because it does.
- Share your Q3 focus with your life partner, accountability partner, assistant, or coach and set up check-ins.
- Track your progress. Use whatever tools match your rhythm—whiteboard, a notes app, Monday.com, or a spreadsheet.
Visibility builds accountability. Accountability builds momentum. And momentum deserves to be celebrated. Hit a milestone? Step back, take the win, and reset your energy. Don’t wait until Q4—sprint to a micro goal and celebrate.
Final Thoughts
Q3 isn’t just another quarter—it’s the most strategic stretch of the year for most Advisors. Summer distractions begin to fade. Buyers and sellers recalibrate. And most importantly—you have time. Q3 is your runway for the big projects that never fit into the chaos of Q2 or Q4.
You did the initial hard work last week—now it’s time to put your clarity to use. Q3 is a gift. It’s where leverage is created, infrastructure is improved, and new capacity is unlocked. It’s not about doing more. It’s about executing what matters most—with focus.
Use the scoring framework. Pick your top three. Break them down. Schedule them. Work your plan.
Because come October, you’ll either be grateful you did—or wish you had.
If today’s Monday Morning Pep Talk resonated with you, do me a favor — share it with someone in your world who needs to hear it. Whether it’s a colleague, a friend, or your team, we rise by lifting others. And don’t forget, every episode is also sent out via email, so if you’re not already subscribed, make sure you’re on the list by subscribing on my Instagram profile at @askjimmiller. I’m simply here to help — and if this helped you, chances are it’ll help someone else too.
