Updated Post...

So earlier this year I posted the following...

2023 is a quarter over and 12 months will fly by.

So today I have a question for you... where will you be on March 24th 2024?

In most years I think this is a much easier answer, but right now there are so many factors that make this question a challenge. Think of all the things we don't know...

• What will the economy do next year?
• What will interest rates be?
• Which party will have power and what will they do with it?
• Is housing inventory going up or down?
• COVID... how will it impact next year?
• Wars, energy, trade...?

It really is hard to set goals when there are so many variables. But you have to know where you want to go. So where do you want to be a year from today? Perhaps the better question is "where will you be a year from now?"

We are surrounded by people who miss their goals and blame everything and everyone for their failure. In these times that is an easy thing to do, but we need to pay our bills and take care of our responsibilities. I know most people that follow me do not consider failure and acceptable result.

So what do we do? We make our best guess of what is coming and we put our plan in place. We execute every day, we prospect, follow up, ask for referrals and close deals. We stay within our budgets, track our year so we always know where we stand and we push through no matter what the world around us does.

I know this much... no matter what has gone on around us there are always those who exceed their goals, even when the market says most people are struggling. Chaos brings opportunity for those that navigate it... opportunity to gain market share, add clients, increase our incomes and improve our personal lives. While people leave our industries we can not just survive but can thrive.

What you do matters. How you respond matters. But despite all you cannot control, if you focus on what you can control you can be right where you want to be a year from today.

Today I thought an update is in order. September is here, less than 4 months left in 2023 and the market has certainly become more challenging as rates have gone up, not down as so many were predicting. There are a few things that I know for certain...

• What you do today, and for the next couple months will determine what happens to your business in the first quarter of 2024
• You still have time to hit your goals for 2023, but the clock is ticking
• If you are ahead of your goals well done, if you are behind don't give up
• The market is rough, but as people are exiting around us, stay strong and you will survive and thrive when it shifts again
• The questions I started the post with still remain
• Life goes on

So focus, finish 2023 strong and set up 2024 to be a great year.