For most of the country, the first six months of 2001 have been prosperous and busy. How has your business been? Are you on target? Essential elements of attaining your desired goals are constant tracking and course corrections as you progress. As you begin the second half 2001, this critical check-in will tell you:

1. Where you are
2. The effectiveness of the actions you are taking and
3. Help you to determine what you must do to accomplish the goals you have set for the year.

As a coach, I repeatedly hear from my clients that staying focused is their biggest challenge. When I ask at seminars, "How many of you have checked in with your goals and can tell me where you are right now?", usually about 5 to 10 percent raise their hands. Keeping up with the day-to-day details is time-consuming and regular business planning time is the first thing to get pushed aside. This can be especially true when business is good and it seems the money is flowing in. What a huge mistake ! Perhaps this is the reason about 10% of agents are doing about 90 percent of the business!

2001.5 means you have 50 percent of the year left!

Even though the year is half over, you still have the other 50% to go. That is plenty of time to get back on track. Or, if you are ahead of the game, reassess the year. Would you be happy attaining the goal you originally set, and then taking some time off to really enjoy yourself? Or did you set it too low? Would it be useful to see what you really could attain this year, if you rock and rolled your way consciously through the second half, making hay while the sun is shining? Whichever place you find yourself in right now, a reassessment can rejuvenate you and bring some excitement to what perhaps has turned ho-hum as the summer temperatures have risen.

Get your schedule out and block a 3-4 hour period to make an appointment with yourself. The check in you do at mid-year, when done well, will be almost as extensive as the yearly planning. To compensate for the continual shifts in market conditions, consumer expectations and business conditions, the successful agents continually revamp their plans to meet new challenges. Perhaps there are new opportunities and media that weren't available six months ago. Has the type of competition shifted or increased, perhaps from the flat-rate or online companies. Your continual reassessment of your competitive advantage and your marketing strategy to protect your niches will put you at the head of the pack.

Step One: Reflect

Gather all the data from the first half of this year. Sure, you want your gross numbers so far, but don't stop there. Pull out your business plan and goals for 2001 and track each area. It is easy to just measure by the gross and number of units. You can learn a lot by doing some digging!

Step Two: Analyze

• Which of your goals is 50% realized? Which aren't?
• What is your net?
• Where did the business come from?
• Was from referrals? From ads? From the Internet?
• Where are you wasting money?

Your net income is the most important number to track and includes the income as well as the outflow. Where are you spending too much?

Step Three: Plan

• What external changes have taken place in your market this year?
• Is your original strategy working? What changes are needed?
• What new strategy is needed for the second half of the year?
• Have you increased marketshare in your geographical niches?
• Is there a new or emerging niche you'd like to grow?

Redefine, if necessary, your goals for the year. Get creative in your thinking here. Business as usual will get you what you've gotten! And, more, harder, faster may just wear you out…how can you be more effective?

Step Four: Implement

• Schedule your perfect week that will accomplish what's needed.
• Block time for important activities such as prospecting, networking and being obvious.
• Do you need to delegate or outsource more? To whom?
• Do you need some new equipment to give you the advantage?
• Does your web presence need to be taken to the next level?
• Think from the point of view of already having attained the goal you have set. If you were producing at the level you aspire to, what tools and ways of working would have to be implemented? Implement them now!

What is the journey about?

Just as in any trip, while the final destination is what we have our sights set on, the getting there can be the best part. In setting off on a summer vacation across country, we want to know we have all the equipment necessary to arrive safely and when we want, but if we miss the beauty and fun along the way, the trip is not all that it could have been.

Published: June 6, 2001

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Joeann Fossland GRI, LTG, MCC is a dynamic speaker and business coach. Creator of THE REAL ESTATE GAMETM, she provides coaching solutions enhance your effectiveness and life balance. You can subscribe to her free monthly newsletter, attend free monthly telephone seminars, and find out about classes delivered by email and personal coaching by visiting JoeAnn.com or e-mail her at .