It’s the third week of January, and with that comes a heavy burden… It’s called Quitter’s Day. Some say it falls on the second Friday of January, while others say it comes on the 19th, but regardless of the exact date, studies show that 91% of people will abandon their New Year’s resolutions around this time.
And do you know what… that’s okay…
“Whaaaa?… Did Tom just say it’s okay for me to flub on my habits and commitments?”
Well, no… But getting knocked down and discouraged is part of the game. It’s impossible to be perfect 100% of the time. The key is knowing how to pick yourself up and get back on the horse, so you can still achieve your goals. That’s why this blog isn’t just about sticking to your commitments but recommitting to them if you ever fall off track.
Ready to get started (again)? Read on…
How to Get Back on Track, Step 1: Don’t Be too Hard on Yourself
It’s what I was just talking about but it’s worth putting it as the most important point. Too many people quit after a setback because they’re too discouraged to try again.
Here’s the thing… You can only keep succeeding without a failure for too long, and if you do then you’re probably playing it too safe in what you shoot for. Failure is part of living an ambitious, successful life, and I’ve failed more times than you can imagine. The difference is, I always used those failures as an opportunity to learn.
You need to accept the slip without letting it harm your self-esteem (this is important for Step 2) and then it’s time to adjust your plan…
How to Get Back on Track, Step 2: Reassess Your Plan
Let’s say you committed to doing my 5/5/4 Challenge – or if you’ve attended one of my new Roadmap events, the 10/10/8/4 Challenge – where every day you talk to five people from your database, five new people, and following up with four leads you’ve already spoken to. You’ve made this the center of your prospecting strategy for the year and it was going well for the first few weeks until just a few days ago you dropped down to 5/3/2. Then the next day it was 4/2/1. And it kept on like that until now you only make calls if you’re feeling particularly inspired.
You could try to pull up your britches and charge back into it… Or you could take a breath and ask what happened to throw you off course. And once you were thrown off, what kept you from correcting course the next day? Sure, sometimes appointments take up your time and life situations happen, but when getting knocked off track one day turns into a new habit, there’s probably a fault in the foundation of the plan.
Now’s the time to diagnose the problem and correct it. Maybe it’s just too much for you to maintain with your current schedule. That’s okay. Try cutting it down to 4/4/3 and then move it back up once you gain a little more momentum. But maybe it’s just a motivation and mindset problem… In that case, how’s your diet and exercise schedule? What kind of books are you reading right now? Sometimes fixing one habit comes down to getting another in shape first.
How to Get Back on Track, Step 3: Make a Written Recommitment
There’s something exceptionally powerful about recommitment, maybe even more powerful than committing for the first time because each time you come back to it, you show just how truly serious you are. This goes for everything that truly matters to you, even if you haven’t slipped up (trust me, I’ve married my wife three times now).
Whether you’re coming back to a habit or a goal or you’re just ready to pour extra fire into one you’ve already been working with, you need to get it down on paper. This is a contract from you to yourself, but it’s also more than that. By recommitting on paper, you’re sending a signal to the universe that you really want this. Now, I don’t know where you stand on any of that New Age stuff, but I can tell you that there is an undeniable power in putting your burning desires to paper. It just simply works.
So, send the signal – to yourself, to the universe, to your coach, and your Mastermind group.
How to Get Back on Track, Step 4: Never Let Yourself Forget Your “Why”
28,835.
Does that look like a big number to you? Depends on what it is, right? What if I told you that the average person lives to be about 79 years old, and that means from birth to death, you only have around 28,835 days to live?
Now, is that more or less than you were expecting? If you’re like me, it’s a freakin’ wakeup call every time you hear it. And if you want to get even more intense with this, here’s a link to the Google Death Clock. Go to it, fill out the information, and see how many days you have left, then try to tell me you can wait to get started tomorrow.
The point is that there’s no time to waste here. This is your life. And if you’re not doing it for yourself, then who are you doing it for? Do you want to send you kids to college? Which college? How much does it cost? Figure it out and put that number up above your desk. Have a picture of your wife, your kids, your parents next to your phone to remind you why you’re making those calls.
How to Get Back on Track, Step 5: Track and Measure
“How noble and good everyone could be if at the end of the day they were to review their own behavior and weigh up the rights and wrongs. They would automatically try to do better at the start of each new day, and after a while, would certainly accomplish a great deal.”
That’s a quote from The Diary of Anne Frank, which if you haven’t read is full of powerful wisdom. Anne Frank was only 13 when she wrote that, but it’s clear that by keeping a diary, she was able to clarify and refine her thoughts into not just wisdom but also profound discipline.
The point is you should be keeping a journal. But beyond that, you should also be treating yourself like your own most important employee. Be sure to track everything in some sort of “up and visual” scoreboard that reminds you what you’re working toward and hammers home the reality of where you stand currently.
How to Get Back on Track, Step 6: Get Some Accountability
The most proven effective way of getting back and staying on track is to do it together with someone. Can you think of an organization that deals with overcoming powerful negative habits and preaches the message that it’s only possible when done in a group?
Get an accountability partner, form a Mastermind group, or, if you’re ready for it, maybe it’s time to sign up for coaching. Our coaching program gives you not only a professional coach to help guide you on the right path but also access to the world’s biggest and most trusted community of top performing real estate agents who are holding each other accountable to their own success every single day.
What are YOU Doing for Quitter’s Day?
It doesn’t matter when the news says that Quitter’s Day 2023 is, whether it’s January 13th, 19th, or February first. The fact is that Quitter’s Day can come at any day when life throws you a punch in the face.
The real question is, are you just going to take it or are you going to get back up and punch back? If you ever find that you’re falling short of the mark, follow these steps and I believe you’ll find yourself back in a better place than where you started from.
Let me know in the comments which step is most useful to keep you on track. Thanks for reading!