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A goal is a dream with a deadline attached.

That’s not my quote, but I sure wish it were because it rings so dang true.

We all envision ourselves living fancy-schmancy lives with that perfect career, driving around in the shiny, turbo-charged car that we’ve coveted forever, vacationing at all those exotic spots we’ve fantasized about since we saw our first screen-saver. However, without the discipline and accountability behind those goals, they’re just unrealized dreams and there’s nothing sadder than a dream that doesn’t come true.

What makes dreams into reality is the ability to set and achieve our goals, so that’s our lesson for today.

THE REALITY OF REAL ESTATE

The First Step Is Often a Leap of Faith

Starting out is hard, y’all. Starting out in this market is even harder. However, it’s not impossible.

Now, if you think you should sit around waiting for the right time, for the ideal market conditions, for the sun, moon, and stars to align, then prepare yourself to wait forever. Sometimes the best way to get started is to get started; you do that by setting yourself a goal with a timeline, then holding yourself accountable for results.

For me, I made the leap into becoming a broker after realizing my marriage was ending. Was that the most ideal time, one where I could just concentrate fully without distractions or stray emotions?

No, ma’am. Not even close.

Instead, I channeled my nervous energy into the dream of getting my broker’s license within three months of the divorce. I put that deadline on my dream and I never once let myself slack because I knew it was the key to my future. Plus, having a goal helped me understand that all the pain and sadness I was mired in was temporary, and the only way past it was through it.

In the six months leading up to the inevitable divorce, as my marriage disintegrated, I didn’t spend my time bemoaning my fate. (Much.) Instead, I was determined to have something good at the end and that good thing would be my broker’s license. The goals I set entailed finishing the class, passing the test, and starting my own brokerage. And that’s exactly what I did. (By the way, if you’re new and you’re not doing this one thing, you are leaving money on the table.)

My dream was to be one of the most successful female-owned brokerages in Atlanta, but I knew that couldn’t happen overnight. Instead, I got there because I was so diligent in meeting smaller, more achievable goals that fed into the big dream.

My first step was to open the business in my home office. The next step was to land my first client, which ended up being a neighbor’s listing. I always had the overarching goal to be one of the most successful in the business, but I could only build up to that goal by meeting one tangible metric at a time. What I learned through this process is that dreams are crucial because they’ll keep you going when all you have currently is a vision board. But you’re only going to achieve these goals with a solid mindset and the work ethic and the discipline to make that extra call, to attend one more networking event, to invest in the lead list instead of a creature comfort, and to innovate. Wishing will reveal the door to your dreams, but you need to walk through that door under your own steam.

BTW, do vision boards work? You tell me.

@glenndabaker

Do you use a vision board? #GlenndaBaker #RealEstate #AtlantaRealEstate #VisionBoard #Goals #Manifesting

SUGAR & SPICE REAL ESTATE ADVICE

For the Newbies

Everyone has to start somewhere. If you're new to the game, it can be daunting to see how much the pros sell. When you compare yourself and you find yourself wanting, it sure doesn’t feel good.

Well, guess what?

Every agent has had his or her first day, first week, first month, etc. and no one expects you to sell Glennda Baker-levels of real estate at the very beginning. I mean, I am Glennda Baker and even I had to ramp up to be Glennda Baker.

Because comparison is the thief of joy, I am begging the newbies not to compare yourselves to established agents. Compare yourself to yourself and make your challenges personal to yourself. Look inward, not outward. Through goal-setting, don’t be surprised at how quickly y’all progress.

@glenndabaker

What is a reasonable goal as a new agent of number of homes to sell? #GlenndaBaker #RealEstate #AtlantaRealEstate #NewAgent #RealEstateTiktok #Goals

ONCE UPON A TIME WITH GLENNDA

Let Me Math the Math For You

I tell you what, every morning when I wake up, I lay there with my eyes closed and I think, “Is this really my life?” I swear to you, sometimes I want to keep my eyes shut because I’m afraid it’s all been a dream. I can’t believe I get to live the life I lead. Then I just think of every single thing that has happened and every person who has helped me to get me here and sometimes I have to pinch myself.

The one thing I can promise y’all is if this has happened for me, it can happen for you. The key is figuring out what you want and then planning to go after it, and never giving up if it doesn’t happen as quickly as you’d like.

If you want to achieve something, you have to put it front and center of your mind. If you think, “Yeah, it’d sure be nice if X, Y, or Z happened, but…” you’re not committed. Your goal needs to consume you; it’s got to be the first thing you think about in the morning and the final thought before you drop off at night.

I saw a Thread last week where a finance bro made the comment that if you’re in your twenties and you want to achieve great things, you can’t waste your time watching Netflix or following sports—your every action should be about propelling you forward in your career. Now… I’m not sure I could have given up my NBA, but he makes a fine point. It’s way easier to get a foothold in your twenties than it is as you get older and your responsibilities broaden. If there’s ever a time to throw yourself into your work, it’s now. Your goals should be your roadmap.

Let’s say your goal is what I talked about in the video in regard to being a new agent. Maybe you want to figure out how to sell one house per month. That’s a great goal because it’s specific, measurable, achievable, and time-bound. If you’re not already selling one home per month, it’s challenging yet still possible. If you’re fresh out of the gate and swinging for the fences, don’t make your goal a pie-in-the-sky ten houses in a month—that’s near impossible in the beginning and you’re like to get frustrated and give up.

Work the math here—if it takes you ten appointments to get a listing and ten listings to get a sale, take those numbers and work backwards. If you’re only going on twenty appointments per month, you’re never going to hit your number because the math doesn’t math. Figure out your metrics because if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. What you may not realize is that the more you go on appointments, the better you’ll get at them. The more you improve, the more you learn, the more effective those appointments will be. The math is bound to shift in your favor, and suddenly, it only takes you five appointments to get that listing.

Once you figure out the math, you must be rigorous with yourself and meet the standards you set! Don’t let yourself be a big old slacker—you’re better than that and you want it more than that. Push yourself. Meet your own internal challenges. More importantly, write those goals down and check yourself daily. What are you doing to meet your metrics, and if you’re not meeting them, what needs to change? Talk to any good salesperson you know (any industry) and ask them about their goals—the most successful ones will be able to tell you exactly where they are in relation to plan.

Also, don’t keep your goals to yourself—tell everyone and their mama! The more you share your goals, the more accountable you become, because now you’re not just letting down yourself if you don’t make that extra call or knock on one more door, you’re also disappointing your mama, your sister, your Uncle Bubba, etc., and that’s gonna make Thanksgiving awkward.

Every time you achieve your goal, let that win inspire you to get to the next level. Goal setting is a lifetime process. Granted, at some point if you mind your metrics and keep pushing forward, you’ll become that seasoned old pro! You’ll become the Glennda Baker of Sacramento or El Paso or Fort Wayne, or wherever your market is.

I have always pushed myself, always been goal-oriented. But once I achieved my sales goals, once I became the Glennda Baker of Atlanta that I’d always dreamed about, I realized that I wasn’t about to rest on my laurels. I wanted to keep my forward momentum. I wanted to keep growing. That is why one day back in 2020, I thought to myself, “What if I decided to put some videos online?” So I made a goal, figured out the metrics, and held myself accountable. So… y’all saw how that turned out.

I still set goals every day. I refuse to stagnate. I always want to figure out how to do more, be more, give more. And it’s because of this that I have to pinch myself every morning, just to make sure the dream I’m living is the real deal.

GLENNDAISM

Words to Live By