What do you do when you just can’t seem to get any momentum going? You are working so hard, but you’re getting nowhere. I have been asked this question many times, and my answer is always the same: “Slow down and regroup. Get your focus back”. You may even need to take a little time off. This is in fact the same talk I have with myself from time to time.
What do I mean by this? You know the old saying “You can’t see the forest for the trees”? It’s easy to get so caught up in what you are doing, racing through each day doing “stuff” that you look up and find that you are completely off track; you have completely lost your focus.
What are some steps I can take to get back on track?
-Begin with the end in mind. Look at your goals each day. You should have no more than 3 big goals for the entire year. You want to nail them and you can’t do that if you have a list a mile long.
-Plan tomorrow before you leave the office today. Pick out those 3 or 4 important tasks that are the most important ones that will help you to reach your goal. You know the ones; the ones that will also be responsible for that increase in your income.
-Use time blocking each and every day to get those important tasks completed the first thing in the morning. Block out the first two hours of the day and go to work before you answer a phone call, look at email or allow any other distraction to get in the way. You will find that those 2 hours will be the most productive time of the whole day.
-Know what your number one task is as a beginning real estate investor: Marketing!!!!
-Spend AT LEAST one hour every day marketing for deals. If you don’t have any leads, you will never be in business. You can be a stand out in any market by simply calling folks back in a timely manner. Don’t worry about being new. Just be cheerful and speak with confidence and the rest will take care of itself.
-Put together a simple marketing plan. It doesn’t have to be a complex plan, but you definitely need a marketing plan no matter what level you are at. It’s really crucial when you’re just starting out.
-If you still have a 9 to 5 job you will need to set aside certain times to work on your real estate business. Decide on a few marketing strategies, set up a schedule for getting them done and just go to work. Remember that baby steps will still get you to your destination; it will just take a little longer.
Last but not least…
-Don’t give up! Real estate investing is like most other things, it just takes time and persistence to succeed. That first deal is right around the corner.
I agree 100% with you about planning tomorrow’s work today and PRIORITIZING IT. What things can you do that will bring the most results? Where should the time be spent?
I know that we were starting out, I would do a lot of busy work like stuffing envelopes and scanning the MLS all the time but not really getting any where. This all was to make myself feel like I was putting in the work. Not smart.
Thanks for the great post.
Danny –
It’s really tough for all of us to keep our focus. I really believe that planning tomorrow before you leave work today is one of the best things you can do. And, like you said, they should be money making activities. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Sharon
Great article! Applicable to all businesses – not just real estate. Its very easy as a business owner to lose your focus, especially on those tasks that you don’t really want to be doing. Thanks for the reminder,
Brent
Brent – Thanks for stopping by!