Happy New Year! There is so much opportunity facing us in 2008 and what will distinguish you as a winner will be your belief in this. With all of the “recession” talk floating around the press these days it is imperative you put on your blinders (within reason of course) and forge forward — you can do it!

By now you have hopefully established your 2008 goals and in fact are fairly excited about them. Your 2008 goals should be more ambitious then your last year’s goals and at least one should be gigantic.

Remember, our brains are actually very sophisticated computers and once you have established a direction, your brain will assist you in making it happen. What this means is you must be very mindful about what your 2008 intentions are. Write your goals out and keep them posted where you can see them each day. What you believe in and what you want to accomplish must be the same. Your thoughts must be congruent with your goals.

For example, if you have set a lofty income goal but you deep down don’t believe you will hit it, guess what? You won’t. And since I applaud income goals set higher then you’re really sure you can hit, I am going to share my secret for guaranteeing your success. I use this strategy myself and it really works! Are you ready?

OK, it is so simple you will be saying, “Why didn’t I think of that myself?”. I call it “Working the Spreadsheet”. Here’s how:

1. Make a simple Excel spreadsheet with every single deal you are working on the left-hand side of the spreadsheet. Then continuing down the left-hand side, put every single prospective deal. Finally at the bottom of the left-hand side, just make up some deals you’d like to make (this sets the intention you need to make it happen, intentions are important).
2. In the next column, put the net commission you will receive (this may require a bit of guess work on your part).
3. Now, in columns 3-14 put each month across the top.
4. Plug the commission into the proper month (yes, I realize much of this requires guesswork — it’s OK).

Now this is the important part, each workday, take time first thing in the morning to review each deal in progress, and each potential deal, and even your made-up deals and write out the action steps needed to get each deal closer to closing.

Then, set time aside to complete each action step. The result should be more deals closed with less effort — easy!

I use this system myself with my own commercial real estate transactions (I lease about 6 shopping centers — the same ones for the past 18 years, takes me about 5 hours a week). It’s amazing how well it works. At times when I am feeling a bit financially stressed, I just ramp up “working the spreadsheets”. I keep my focus on the commissions I will generate, attach a date (deadline), take the needed action steps and magically it happens. This system has yet to fail me. I use it in my coaching business as well. I guess you can call me the “SPREADSHEET QUEEN”.

It really is simple and I use this strategy with my clients. They find it to be a hugely valuable tool and can’t believe they didn’t think of it themselves.

To get a copy of this spreadsheet you will have to become a Gold Inner Circle Member (a small bribe on my part — after all I can’t give all of my tricks away).

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