By now, I’m sure you’re well aware that success doesn’t happen overnight. It also doesn’t tend to happen by accident. With stiff competition, advancements in technology and a cyclical housing market, success in our industry takes hard work and dedication. The more intentional we are about what we want to accomplish, the higher the likelihood of achieving our goals. So what’s the plan for success in 2020? What are your goals for 2020? Goals are the outcomes that result from implementing strategies and intentions.

A good plan starts with taking stock of 2019:

– What strategies worked out particularly well?

– What do you think it was about your planning, implementation or execution of these strategies that contributed the most to this success?

– What strategies missed the mark?

– What was it about your planning, implementation or execution of these strategies that contributed to this shortfall?

– What were the biggest lessons you took from 2019?

– What were the biggest surprises?

– Were these truly surprises that were unavoidable, or were you thrown off course by a lack of planning?

Then we move on to 2020:

– What will you do differently this year that will elevate your game and enhance your goals?

– What habits and routines will you implement to achieve these goals?

– How are you preparing for any industry disruptors?

– What does your budget look like?

– How will you keep expenses in check while investing in items that are likely to bring you the most success?

– Have you set aside different strategies and plans of action when it comes to obtaining new business versus retaining loyal customers?

– How will you grow your team in the New Year? What types of synergies do you value, and what behaviors will detract from your cumulative efforts?

– How do you envision your branding in 2020, including your marketing campaigns, social media pages and online reviews?

In order to produce intended change, we need a step-by-step action plan.  Action items should be identified and then organized in the order they should be executed.  Action owners should be identified and time frames for completion noted.

We all know that failing to plan is planning to fail. It’s cheesy, but true.  Plans need to be written down so they can be referenced and monitored. Plans should be shared across the team and discussed regularly to ensure progress is measured or actions tweaked in order to deliver to success.

Don’t let the fresh start of a new year get away from you because you’re too busy indulging in the festive season. If 2019 has taught us anything, it’s that unpredictability can jump out from any corner. While we can’t always predict what’s ahead, we can have a plan in place so our ship doesn’t veer off-course.