Planning claims to have many benefits. One in particular is that it gives you more control over your day. Planning helps you focus on what needs to get done, in other words the activities that drive your business, so that you can make sure that they actually get done!

Another way to describe planning is to call it preparation. In order to achieve success, it’s essential to prepare for the successes and failures you are sure to face in the coming year.

I can hear you now. “Planning cramps my style” or “Planning isn’t necessary as I always seem to make my goals” or “I don’t want to be locked in”.

You are not alone.  I hear it far more often than you can imagine.  However, I also hear from another group of agents who carefully plan out their year and consistently out perform their previous years.  What do they know that you should know?

I’ll tell you one simple fact.  Planning your year helps keep you on track in a business that every day does it’s best to knock you off track.  You know that’s true.

Instead of avoiding the process, devote a few hours to the very simple to implement “Jerry Kidd Method”

You’ll need a few tools, and the cooperation of your family.  First get one of those large desk top paper calendars from your favorite Title & Escrow Company.  Or go buy one at your local stationery store.

Next, armed with the calendar and a pen, sit down with your family and block off the following items:

1. The family vacations
2. Family important dates:
   1. Birthdays
   2. Anniversaries
   3. Graduations
   4. National Holidays
   5. At least one day a week off
   6. Any other dates where it is important to the family that you be present!
3. That’s it for the family participation!
4. Take a break and gather up last years numbers
   1. What did you do this past year that worked?
      1. Schedule those activities on the calendar
   2. What did you do this past year that did not work?  DON’T DO THEM THIS YEAR!
5. Schedule in your local area’s “Tour of new listings” – YOU NEED TO SEE THE INVENTORY
6. Schedule in your office meetings – You OWE it to yourself, your fellow agents and your broker to attend
7. Plan on, and schedule in, at least one other prospecting method that you have always wanted to try but haven’t
8. Schedule in any seasonal or farming mailings
9. Schedule in at least one open house a month.  Preferably two.

Once you have all of that on the big calendar, transfer everything to whatever calendar app you you use.  Or, transfer it all to your paper scheduler.  It doesn’t matter what you use, but it is important that you have all of this information with you all of the time.

That way, when someone wants an appointment with you, you will know when you have an open time slot.  If you need to reschedule something in order to accommodate a business opportunity, you can do so. 

If you will at least do this, you will be set when opportunity meets preparation!  Or in other words, you will be that “lucky” agent who seems to get all the business!