Determination

Today, I want to look at one of the most important skills for loan officers: determination. No matter how great your network is or how strong your client experience, without determination, it can be difficult to succeed in the mortgage industry. Loan officers who want to build thriving businesses and create long-lasting success need to have the determination to continue pursuing their goals, despite the ups and downs they will inevitably face. Here are just a few ways professionals can do this:

Prepare for Fluctuations

Determination comes a bit easier when you prepare yourself. Loan officers need to get in the right mindset around success, the path they're on, and what it’s going to take to achieve their goals. They need to anticipate those fluctuations in business and know that they’re something to push through, not panic about. When we have this mindset in advance, it’s much easier to persist in our striving forward than if we’re caught off guard and feeling disappointed and frustrated.

Clarify Your Goals

It’s also a bit easier to be determined when you have a clear target. When you know where you’re heading, you have a point of focus on those challenging days or weeks. The more specific you are, the better. When you turn your goals into mental images that you can reference whenever you feel like throwing in the towel, you boost your chances of continuing forward. Those goals also serve as a source of excitement. They provide the energy and motivation we need every day to put in the work.

Identify Specific Actions

From those goals, loan officers need to identify specific actions. Without these, ambitious goals can actually backfire on determination. If we’re going to stay resolute in our commitment to our goals, we need to give ourselves tangible steps we can take each day so that we feel like we’re making progress, no matter how small.

Feed Yourself Wisely

Determination requires energy and energy requires fuel. From eating healthy foods and drinking enough water to consuming useful media and surrounding ourselves with positive, motivating people, we’re feeding ourselves in countless ways every day. Ensure your fuel sources are high quality and providing you with the energy to move in the direction you want to go, even when it gets challenging.

How important do you believe determination is for mortgage professionals? Do you believe it’s a fixed trait or something we can work on and strengthen? How has determination impacted your business in the last year? If you’d like to discuss these further and look at how loan officers can increase their determination to succeed, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d be happy to set up a time to talk.

Don Riggs

303.249.8274

don.riggs@nationslending.com