Successful people consistently reference the importance of a business plan when it comes to achieving their goals. Just as you may not always need a map to find the best route to your destination, having one seems to require less energy, saves times, and helps us to avoid the chaos of taking a "wrong turn." This column focuses on creating a very basic business plan that addresses both the business and "human" sides of the business. For those who prefer a more elaborate plan, Part II will focus on a more in depth approach.

Step 1: Begin by dividing a sheet of paper into four separate parts and label each corner:

"Love to do and profitable" (upper left corner)."

"Hate to do and profitable" (upper right corner)

"Love to do and not profitable" (lower left corner)

"Hate to do and not profitable" (lower right corner)

Step 2: List at least five areas of the business you love to do and that you do well. (This could be farming a specific geographical area, networking, telephone prospecting, open house, etc.) Of those areas, identify the three that were the most profitable to you in 2000 and place them in the upper left hand corner of your matrix. These are the three primary areas upon which you should build your business in 2001.

Step 3: List at least five aspects of the business you hate handling (this could be working with buyers, handling web marketing, door knocking, filling out transaction paperwork, telephone prospecting, etc.) Now identify which of these activities were profitable in 2000. List these in the "Hate to do and profitable" corner.

Step 4: "Ring out the old!" Any activities that were not profitable (for example, farming an area where you obtained no listings or holding open house every week where you only obtained a single sale) should be eliminated from your business plan for 2001. Focus on doing what you love. Don't waste your time trying to do what you don't do well. For those activities that were profitable and you hate to do, look for a way to delegate them. For example, if you hate working with buyers, consider forming a partnership with someone who loves working with buyers. If telephone prospecting is an important profit center, consider hiring a telemarketer. If you hate paperwork, consider using a transaction coordinator. By focusing on your strengths and delegating your weaknesses, you'll not only be more profitable, you'll provide better service to your clients as well.

Step 5: Use the 3-2-1 approach on a daily basis. Prioritize your day in the following way:

1. What are the three business activities I absolutely must complete today? Do these at the beginning of your day.

2. What two self-care activities will I choose to do today to keep me physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually balanced?

3. What is one activity I can complete today that will help me have business tomorrow?

The temptation for most Realtors® is to let business activities other than their "top three" intrude on items they schedule in # 2 and #3. Treat these "appointments" for your "self-care" and creating new business with the same priority you would attach to a listing appointment.

Step 6: Use the 4-3-2-1 approach each month. Schedule at least:

4 weekend days off each month;

3 nights each week where you have time for a leisurely dinner and evening with loved ones;

2 days each month where you take a full day to spend time with friends and/or family;

AND at least 1 day exclusively for yourself where you play golf, get a massage, or do whatever you need to completely escape from the business for a day.

Experiment with this approach for the month of January. Chances are you'll feel more energetic, you'll be more efficient while you're working, and you'll probably do more business than if you worked all 31 days this month!