EP #29: How to Achieve What Really Matters in 2017

A year-end mindset and planning episode from December 2016 where host Geoff Zimpfer walks through 8 habits of high achievers for setting up a strong new year. Thin on mortgage-specific tactics but covers practical planning frameworks. Best for LOs who want a structured end-of-year reflection process.

Takeaways you can run this week

• Block one uninterrupted day before December 31 to review your entire year's calendar month by month, noting what produced results and what didn't — John Maxwell's method for turning experience into insight.
• Write down every distraction, commitment, or activity eating your time, then cut the bottom 30% that don't move your production number forward — including things you enjoy but that conflict with your goals.
• Pick a specific date in Q1 for your first agent lunch-and-learn, put it on the calendar today, then work backwards to schedule: venue selection, co-sponsor outreach, topic choice, and promotion activities.
• Break your annual production goal into four quarterly milestones and set a recurring calendar block once per quarter to check whether you're on pace — treat it like checking flight instruments mid-route.
• Schedule at least one full personal recharge day per quarter and put date nights or family outings on the calendar the same way you schedule prospecting — blocked time is protected time.
• Listen to Episode 28 with Bobby D. Oriel ($0 to $40M after the 2008 meltdown) and write one sentence answering: why are you a mortgage loan originator? Post it somewhere you see it daily.

The playbook

1. 1. Reflect: Review last year's calendar end-to-end; journal wins and magic moments across business, finance, family, and health.
2. 2. Stay positive: Note shortfalls briefly, then redirect focus to momentum you want to carry forward.
3. 3. Gratitude flood: Journal or write out everything from the past year you're grateful for; download a gratitude app for daily morning practice.
4. 4. Cut the fat: List all current activities/commitments; eliminate the bottom 30% that don't serve your primary goal.
5. 5. Clarify your why: Write a one-sentence answer to why you do this work; reconnect to it whenever you hit resistance.
6. 6. Break goals into quarterly milestones: Map the full year on a wall calendar or whiteboard so the big picture is visible.
7. 7. Schedule the year in advance: Block agent classes, prospecting blocks, team meetings, vacations, and creative projects now.
8. 8. Schedule recharge: At minimum, one full day per quarter to unplug and evaluate your business from the outside.

Worth quoting

“Reflection turns experience into insight.”

“Your day is your week, is your month, is your year.”

Best for

LOs who set big production goals in January but abandon them by February and want a structured planning process to actually follow through.