A number of years ago I created and taught a course I called "Taking

Control of Your Time and Your Life." It was a time management/life

management/financial planning /motivational program. I taught one and two

day versions of the program and often did shorter keynote type addresses

to different groups on the content from the course. I always enjoyed this

type of writing and presenting.

Annual business planning should be done in the context of your life plan.

Now is the time to begin the thought process which will lead you through

a successful 2006, in both your business and your personal life.
It is important to realize that 2006 (any year) is just part of a much

bigger picture. Do not short change yourself when it comes to the

planning process. Give yourself adequate time. The sooner you begin to

think about the process the better, and the less time it will actually

take to commit your plans to writing and move into implementation. Give

yourself the time you need to plan. Make it a priority. Planning is THE

essential to success.

It has been said many ways and two of my favorites
are:

"If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there."

"Not having a plan is planning to fail."

The week between Christmas and New Year works well as a planning period

for me as things are usually slow that week and I have time to reflect on

the past year while I plan for the new year.

Planning will give you your best shot at success. Success means different

things to different people, so begin your planning process by broadly

defining what success means to you and giving thought to your vision of a

successful 2006. Specifics come later.

To some success will be more income, to others it will be more time spent

with family and friends, to others a combination of the two...and to

others...well, who knows? Success means different things to different

people. Defining what success is for you and prioritizing your goals

requires an examination of your values.

How important are the following

to you?

Family
Charity
 Helping others (Money)
 Helping Others (Deeds)
Spirituality/Religion
Wealth and Material Possessions
Education
Self-improvement
Security
Happiness

Planning for the future must be done in the context of the future. You

can't effectively plan for the future from the present. You must step out

"into the future" by developing your vision of the future, and then,

"from the future," you will be able to plan your way to THAT future, from

the present. Make sense? Just as we all have 20/20 hindsight and can see

the important steps that led to success from our past, those important

steps to insure success in the present can be more clearly view "from the

future."

When considering what you will do each day...as you prioritize your daily

tasks, keep in mind that time is the precious commodity, and none of us

has enough of it. What you do today must help you achieve what it is you

want to have achieved by the end of the week...and what you achieve at

the end of the week must get you closer to what it is you want to have

accomplished by the end of the month...and what you have accomplished by

the end of the month must be that which takes you closer to what you want

to have accomplished by the end of the year...and each years

accomplishments should contribute to where you want to be in five years,

ten years, your lifetime. Your daily decisions should be made with the

bigger picture in mind. You need to determine the "long range"
as it will have an impact on the choices you make today.

One way we measure our success is by the accomplishing of goals. Goals

serve another purpose, they give us direction. It is important to set

goals. A mistake made by many is that they set limits on themselves and

do not set their goals high enough. Human beings are capable of great

accomplishment, don't sell yourself short. As Bing Crosby sang in the

musical A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court:

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, if you stub your toe on the moon."

My father often told me that the biggest mistake he made in life was not

setting his goals high enough.

To be effective, goals must be:

1. Written - This will begin the process of making the goal "real."
Place those goals in front of you daily

2. Specific - Specificity will

allow you to focus your intent...a key ingredient to success.

3. Measurable - This will help keep the goal "real."

4. Valued - Based on what is important to you, this will allow for the prioritization of your goals

5. Shared - This will help create the commitment needed to

accomplish even the loftiest goal. Sharing the goal is evidence of your

commitment to accomplishment.

It is commitment that is the secret ingredient. As human beings we are

capable of accomplishing whatever we determine is important enough for us

to accomplish. Chose your goals and commit to them wisely...because once

you truly commit, the accomplishment will follow.

>>
Until one is committed
There is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, Always ineffectiveness.
Concerning all acts of initiative and creation There is one elementary

truth, The ignorance of which kills countless ideas And splendid plans:
That the moment one commits oneself,
Then providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one
That would otherwise never have occurred.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
 
Raising in one's favor all manner
Of unforeseen incidents and meetings
And material assistance
Which no man could have dreamt
Would have come his way.
I have learned a deep respect
For one of Goethe's couplets:
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can - begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it".

W.N. Murray
The Scottish Himalayan Expedition, 1951
<<

As for your real estate business:

Begin with the dollar amount you wish to earn in 2006. Calculate your

average dollar earned per transaction in 2005. Calculate the number of

transaction sides required to hit your dollar earned goal. Based on past

experience, determine the number of contacts and calls required to hit

your number Make sure you make that number of contacts, at a minimum,

each day. Think about your goal each day.

"Beginning is half done." (Denis Waitley)

It's a grind, but the road to success is usually a grind. Doing what you

like to do makes it easier, but there is still a lot of "grunt work"
along the way.

Saul