Hi Teri, great thoughts for going into 2010. My yearly motto is pretty much my lifetime motto,"Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Teri ~ Looks like you are off to a good start.  I like Gary's motto.. sort of sounds like Ghandi ... Not a bad place to start.. Another one I like from Dr. Dyer is Excuses be Gone! 

Rock on Teri!!! I live by my goals and boy do they work!! I have created numerous vision boards that hang in my office so I can see them everyday. The coolest part is going back and looking at everything you have accomplished. It gives you a sense of gratitude. 2009 was "if you can't, then you MUST!!" and it's so true, whenever I get a little scared about something then it means I need to dive head in.

I hope you have a prosperous 2010!

Hi Teri - Keller Williams has a class called Quantum Leap that includes vision statements and goal setting. Your post reminded me to pull that out of the closet and take a look for 2010. I could definitely start with "Write it down" and calling on a little Gandhi wouldn't hurt either!

Teri, no motto...just keeping a positive attitude and writing down goals...works for me.

Teri, I have had a great year but I'm ending the year with some transactions that have made real estate NO FUN.  I want to get the fun back in my real estate career. I love helping someone with what is probably their biggest investment and I expect some fun buyers will bring the fun back in to real estate.  I guess my next years motto will need to incorporate the word FUN.

Great idea. I need to learn how to listen better and keep my mouth less active. I bet I would learn so much more with that little change. Thanks and I hope 2010 will be a great year for you.

Teri - those are admirable goals. I wish you success in obtaining them, at elast seeing significant improvement.

I am pretty compassionate, but could definitely be more patient at times.

Jeff

Teri--I love the Moving Forward idea...It is a Disney quote and one of my favorites to Keep Moving Forward but writing down where you want to be seems to be a very important part of the equation. I like Marchel's idea to put the fun back into real estate. I did open house the last three weeks and it reminded me how much fun talking real estate is with the public.

I have alot of changes I will be making, but it's going to be alot of work.  Change is good right?  lol

Gary, that is a great one. I love a one liner. ;-)

Joan, that's a good one as well. ;-)

Vanessa, excellent! I love your enthusiasm. ;-)

John, writing it down is absolutely key! ;-)

Marchel, I really hope you have a FUN 2010 practicing real estate!

Terry and Bonnie, keeping quiet is a good thing to learn. ;-)

Jeff, thank you - I shall be successful because I am writing them down, and then acting on them. ;-)

Teri, moving forward, taking the first step, is very important. I didn't know it was a Disney quote - been awhile since my kids were that age. ;-)

Cindy, change is work isn't it? BUT it can be good as well. ;-)

Teri it is good to know what you want to achieve at the beginning of the year, nothing like setting the tone and I have full confidence you will achieve your goals.

I like the idea of having a vision of who you want to be-and then be it. I think the only thing holding us back from being what we want to be is ourselves. So it takes a little self examination. OK, Self, why are you not who you want to be and then alot of deliberately being that person you want to be until it becomes second nature. Now I am off to to apply that to my organizational skills.

Teri this is something I have been pondering a few days. Something on my mind has been. If you really care about someone "talk to them, not about them", have a great 2010.

Jennifer, I agree....looking down the road helps us envision where we will arrive. ;-)

Deanne, exactly. ;-)

Nick, I think being reflective this time of year is a "good" thing. ;-) Love your idea. ;-)

Teri - for me, it would be more helpful to frame the words and put them beside my telephone or on my desk. I look at the frig a lot less hours during the day.

Sharon, great idea....I seem to see the frig a lot during the day. ;-)

My vision for 2010 is to help 20 families buy or sell a home.  I am planning to get my SOI and past clients to help acheive this goal, so I am calling it Project Help 20 in 2010.  Every time a new escrow closes, that family becomes one of the 20.  I have a plan started on how I am going to get my SOI to help me help 20.

Part of my plan is to write them a letter, telling them all about it.  Here are a few lines from the letter:

One of my biggest goals for 2010 is to help 20 families sell or buy a home.  I call this goal my "Project Help 20 in 2010".

My dream for 2010 is very clear:  I want to help 20 people make their dreams come true.

Who do you know who is thinking about moving next?

Let me describe the four types of people I am going to help.

1. People who are at risk of losing their home to foreclosure.
2. People who own their home and who want to move up to a better home.
3. First time buyers who want to stop renting, and take advantage of the tax credit, historically low interest rates and low home prices.
4. People who want to downsize to a smaller home.

I need to enroll you to help me to help them.  I only have 12 months to help these 20 families make their dreams come true.  That is why I need your help. 

Surely you know someone that I can help.

I am COMMITTED to helping these people.  I am full in.  Are you in with me?

Who is going to be the first family I help in 2010?  Is it someone you know?

I can't do it without your help. 

Teri, I am still working on "2009 is Mine!" 

In my opinion, your 3 goals have already been accomplished! You are a patient, compassionate listener!

Just noticed that you were  a Spotlight Member today! Congratulations!

Writing down goals is so important, if you want to accomplish them, that is!

Then you need to chart a course to get there.  If something isn't working, modify your behavior, not your goals.

If we don't head out in a direction, we'll never get anywhere!

Hello Teri! Wow! I'm with you---I love setting goals, motto's, vision statements etc.!

One of the things that I've learned to do as I've progressed is to make them action statement and I use those statements to phrase currently what I want to happen--as if it's happening:

• I am becoming more compassionate every day
• My friends, family and clients see me as a genuine listener
• I am becoming more patient every day

Teri,

Business wise....to become better and better at what I do....personal wise....to live each day to the fullest.

Teri, what a fabulous post. I can also "see" you in your post. Very wise advise and great positive attitude. Happy 2010. I am sure you will achieve your goals.

I think my vision statement for 2010 has to be just one word: "Focus."

I have a life motto. I learned it when I was a teacher... gosh I guess it's been 18 years now sice I taught Art at Calvary Chapel, Philadelphia. One of my students brought me a little cartoon she cut from a magazine. It was a stick figure walking on a tight rope and under the tight rope was a net. The caption under the cartoon read...

"Leap and the net will appear."

I enjoyed reading many of these comments.  I love real estate and I hope it shows to everyone I meet everywhere.  When I catch myself complaining, I try to stop immediately because I truly have nothing to complain about.  I try hard every day and I am lucky to work with some great people.  Merry Christmas all!

I like to have a Plan! Be positive, 2010 the year of the Short Sale. Be Prepared!

First of all - WOW! Since only a few comments are making their way into my inbox, I had no idea - and I had no idea of the Spotlight until you, Margaret, mentioned it. I am very flattered with the nice words - Bob!!! or was it Brad? ;-)

Bob, excellent and well thought out plan! Good for you! ;-)

Margaret, thank you pretty woman. I just always think I could "do better." AND thank you for alerting me to the spotlight. I'd not seen that. ;-)

Karen, love that if we don't head in a direction we'll never get there. ;-)

Claire, great perspective and it has a positive "ring" to it. ;-)

Lori, love that - one for business and one for personal. Awesome! ;-)

Elayna, love your new photo, and thank you for being able to see me in my posts. I love that. ;-)

Marte, one word - that's great. ;-)

Christopher and Stephanie, great motto. I think you're right though. That does seem to happen in my life, that's for sure. ;-)

Colleen, weren't the comments great? Being positive is HUGE in life and in business. ;-)

Dan, in fact a very good plan....P for positive and prepared. Excellent! ;-)

Teri, that is what we are going to be doing over the Holidays - planning our goals for next year. I like Gary's quote. It matches "Do unto others as you would have done unto you."

Teri, this absolutely works! I have a picture of something I dearly want to achieve as my screen saver for my computer and on the wall in my office. I see it all the time and remember what I am doing and why. No matter what it is, it helps to "see" it!

Sharon, that is a great one. ;-)

Vanessa, I think that's an excellent idea. A picture of what will trigger your memory as a screensaver. Love it! ;-)

I owe my wife of 38 1/2  years a trip to Paris in eighteen months.  The Eiffle tower webcam is on my iGoogle page every day.

Great to have a mantra.  Stick with it and you will get there.

Teri, tis the season to set our goals, our visions, our watchwords. I like your idea of putting compassionate and listen on a note on the frig. The word I've chosen is consistent. And now I want that to apply to becoming more compassionate and being a better listener.

For 2010 I will tack up the words "GREEN" and "EXPANSION" onto my fridge.

Setting goals is always a great idea. I like to strive to at least do as well as I always do regardless of the market forces.

Goals and a vision statement are necessary in order to know where you are going and you need a plan to get you there.

Teri,

I love your list.  I like to live every day a little better than I lived the day before.

Merry Christmas!

Now is the time of year I set back and take an assessment of where I am and where I want to be.  Good article on planning.

Teri,

On a personal note.... I just saw a bottle of wine called.... you guessed it!  Lady In Red!!!  This could be a unique little gift to give to your clients/customers!  You might want to list it on one of your LISTS for future reference!  I,too, make lists, but I also have goals.

Goals are good, lists are good and the main thing is keep the action going.  "Do the Dance" as Brian Buffini recommended in his Turning Point Retreat.  Great post.

Jim, what a great idea! And congratulations! ;-)

Mike, sticking with it is absolutely imperative. ;-)

Sherry, I like that....excellent! ;-)

Jean-Paul, ooooohhhh, that's very good. ;-)

Bill, I think it looks like you do and you will. ;-)

Scott, looking back to see how far you've come is a great reward. ;-)

Marzena, if only we all could do that, the world would, indeed, be a better place. ;-)

Gene, thank you, and good luck with your look back and forward. ;-)

Kathy, wow! Who knew? What a cool idea. That would make me memorable wouldn't it? ;-) Thanks for the tip.

Catherine, thank you so much. Keeping going is definitely key. ;-)

It's that time of the year when we must set our direction for the next. I like reading everyone's thoughts and ideas as I ponder mine. Thanks for the peak into the minds of many.

My motto is... "Life is too short to work all the time!!!" 

In 2010 I want to play more:  Ride my touring Piaggio with my husband on his Harley.  Ride our horses. Swim...love to swim.  Gonna get a pool, even if it's above ground.  Enjoy and hike with my 5 purebred, rescued dogs. Go see my daughter, whom I adore, down in St. Petersburg, Fla.  Read more. Enjoy friends.  We have once a month what we call, GNO-GNI night.  (Girls Nite Out-Guys Nite In).  I'm also a writer.  Write more.

27 years in real estate and especially the last two years have been a struggle just to make it in this economy, hit especially hard in resort areas, such as ours here in the W. Car. Mtns.  I feel like if I can play more, then folks I meet while playing, is my net-working.   Enjoy!!!

debra v. edwards - Cashiers, NC

Bev and Bob, I enjoyed it to. Thank you for stopping by....

Debra, wow - what a list you have, and good for you. I find that taking time out for myself is huge! I love your ideas. ;-)

Teri, always good to read another Realtor's goal/vision/motto. Mine includes a 'Business' and a 'Personal' goal. I work at being the best I can be each and every day. I keep in mind what I want to accomplish in business every week while allowing myself to become the person I was meant to be. Work hard and play nice for there may not be a tomorrow. Make each day count and most of all, If it doesn't affect your breathing, it's not important. Have a Great and Happy New Year to all!

Jeff, I like reading other's thoughts as well. I like dividing it into a "business" and "personal" version. ;-)