For this week’s post, I want to rewind the clock back to Friday…and then rewind it way back to my first year as a real estate agent. Let’s start with Friday, when I was invited to be a guest by Rishi Bakshi for the virtual Intero Happy Hour that included managers, staff and agents.
Well before the happy hour was set to take place, I was given a list of questions to answer during the virtual event. Normally, I like to answer questions off the cuff, but knowing the questions in advance this time proved serendipitous.
The first question on the list was, “When did you first write goals?” And that’s what started me on my hunt to find my box of index cards. I started rummaging through my storage closet, where I found what I was looking for—a box with my old 3×5 index cards from my early days starting out in real estate. On each card, I had written out my goals and affirmations; it was almost surreal to read through them years later.
If I didn’t have the goals in front of me, a lot of things I might have said during the happy hour Q&A would have been hard to believe. But the index cards held the validation to my story. As old adage goes, seeing really is believing.
On that note, let’s see what my goals looked like way back when …
In 1985, I set a goal of making $60,000 or $5,000 per month, noting this will be in direct proportion to the service I give:
These are a few more goals I set for myself:
– I will review my goals daily.
– I will make all office and class meetings and be on time, ready to go.
– I get up every morning at 5:45 and run with the dogs.
– I will organize my files at work.
– I will work out six days a week.
– I must do the most productive thing possible at every given moment.
– I will pick up after myself and keep my desk organized.
– I will keep my car neat and clean.
– I will set goals for the week on Sunday night.
– I will make a list every night of the things to do the next day.
These are the actual index cards I wrote those goals on 35 years ago:
You can read through all the actual affirmations I wrote down 35 years ago in the photos below, but here are some of those affirmations—defined as a form of self-forced meditation or repetition — that I wrote down on the index cards:
– I avoid negative people and negative input from the media. When someone tries to dump some negative thinking on me, I refuse to meet it.
– I always welcome positive, new ideas.
– I never see failure as failure but only as a learning experience. Failure is the negative experience I need to change course in my direction and the opportunity to develop my sense of humor.
– I make time to look ahead and see what’s coming at me.
– I always feel good about myself because I always do the best thing possible with my opportunity time.
– I use time planning to enhance the quality of my personal life.
– I’m self-disciplined – I never let the TV rule my life.
– I do right the first time.
– I emphasize the positive in everything I do. I look at the good that can come out of every situation; I talk about the best qualities of every person I meet; I concentrate on the good aspects of every place and thing.
– I take full responsibility for my life. My well-being is in the best hands it could possibly be: my own.
– Success is worth far more than its price. I’m driven in this world, not a passenger – I’m a shaker and a doer. Because I’m such a driver, I’m growing rapidly in knowledge, influence, power and wealth.
– I find my best solutions when I sleep. I do this by defining my problems on paper then letting my subconscious mind take over. It always works because I have the patience and confidence to relax and let it work.
– I never get so busy with today that I forget about tomorrow. I’m a planner. I look ahead. I’m always measuring my performance and eliminating unnecessary timewasters. And I always spend less than I make. When my tomorrows come, I’m always ready for them.
– In both thought and speech, I choose positive words to describe everything, so I’m constantly building my resistance to pessimism. I say “positive” because success is positive and that’s the side I always want to be on.
– I know where I am going because I have taken time and trouble to make that decision.
– I’m terrific at remembering names. I get a new person’s name right in the beginning. I repeat it several times during my first conversation to intensify my memory of that person.
– I respect myself because I’m effective and because I persevere against rejections and obstacles that stop lesser people. I prepare thoroughly for every important activity. I have a high degree of personal integrity that leads me to put out extra effort. I’m a preppie and preppies are winners.
– I’m lucky. Good things are always happening to me. I never have accidents because I’m alert, use intelligent safeguards and think ahead. My nature is what I want it to be.
– I’m organized because I plan my days and follow my plans. I’m responsible for who I am.
So, what’s the message? There’s power in these written goals and affirmations. You become what you think about. I’ve always loved the saying, “Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits and your habits become your destiny.” Reading through these index cards three and a half decades after they were written, I know just how true that sentiment can be, and I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane.
This article is adapted from Blefari’s weekly, company-wide “Thoughts on Leadership” column from HomeServices of America.
