We are already into the year by three months, and some agents are on track for success while others have tied themselves to the track and are patiently awaiting the arrival of the train … Kill me now!

Is there still time to stop the oncoming train or are the agents who are behind in production (and self-esteem/confidence) doomed to repeat the results of the first two months for the remaining ten? As an eternal optimist, it is my contention that it is never too late to stem an unhealthy tide. It takes vigilant work ethic and well-orchestrated business planning to do so. Here are eight practices designed to turn around a failing business and/or to ensure that a productive business continues to thrive:

1. Do the tough things first: leaving prospecting till the end of the day ensures that it will not get done if other issues arise. Plan your daily prospecting the evening before and stick with the plan unless you find yourself stranded on an iceberg heading out to sea (with no cell coverage … .)

2. Vary your prospecting to include all possibilities: door knock, visit FSBOs and expireds (let go of the phone,) SOI, community activities, hand out 25 cards a day and ask, "Do you have a real estate need now or in the near future?" Conduct open houses, take reasonable amounts of floor time, etc. Doing only one thing, the old "specialization" route, will sink you!

3. Listen to an educational CD daily and read an industry article (by a pro and not the press) to ensure that you are current with trends and market conditions. The public demands nothing less than 100 percent expertise from the agent they choose.

4. Upgrade your Internet presence. Be certain that you are using all of your company's tools to their full advantage. Be certain that if a shopper is seeking an agent in your market area, your name comes to the top of the list. Depending solely on your company for your personal promotion is clearly not an intelligent business decision.

5. Create a to-do list everyday: It doesn't matter if you create the list at night before you close up for the day or first thing in the morning as you enjoy your coffee. What matters is that you have a plan to fall back on for every day that you're working. Running a business by the seat of your pants just wears out the seat of your pants (and your wallet!)

6. Balance your life between family/work and personal activities: Fun is not a four-letter word. What's with agents who think that they are working harder than others just because they work 7 days a week? When one lacks balance, one lacks the ability to weather tough times and challenging conditions. Rest and relaxation are necessary for creating a well-rounded life. Family members do not want you to become ill. They want to be with you and share times together. You cannot do that if you are always on the cell, always running at someone's beck and call or chasing after lookers or sellers who have no motivation, urgency or the ability to feed, clothe and house you and yours.

7. Stay fit: Hate to exercise? So what? Do it anyway. Eat on the run? Stop doing it and try meals with the family. If you eat garbage, you'll work the same way. Cut out the fast food and try real food. It takes a great deal to be a top-notch sales professional. Without a healthy lifestyle you will soon see the consequences in the mirror. When you feel good, you are at your most productive.

8. Organize your work/office/home spaces: If your office(s) and/or home look like a hurricane just blew through, then you cannot think straight. There is a great deal of medical research to support the old bromide that a cluttered environment equals a cluttered mind. People really do think more productively when they are surrounded by tranquility in the form or organized, clean areas. If you have clutter, set aside a time to rid yourself of it. Those container stores are fun places to binge on bins. While it may sound like something our grandmothers told us, they were words to live by: A place for everything and everything in its place!

Keep your goals ever present in your mind. Know who you are and why you do what you do. Above all, be true to yourself!