Mortgage Broker Broadcast

Unlocking Success: The Transformative Power of Consistent Habits for Mortgage Brokers and Business Owners

• Craig Skelton • Season 6 • Episode 7

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Could a simple habit transform your business and personal growth? Uncover the secret to long-lasting success as I, Craig Skelton, argue why habits consistently outshine New Year's resolutions, especially for self-employed mortgage brokers and business owners. Tackling the often vague nature of resolutions, we explore how small, sustainable habits can lead to monumental changes by fostering identity shifts over time. Learn actionable strategies for anchoring a new habit to your existing routines and discover how tracking progress and celebrating small wins can pave the way for a transformative 2025. This episode is packed with insights on building a year founded on persistent actions rather than fleeting motivation.

Join us in championing the power of consistency as the key to unlocking your potential this year. With an exciting episode ahead featuring Leigh Rowland, who recently went DA, we'll share his unique journey and the insights he's gathered along the way. Whether you're on the path to becoming a self-employed mortgage broker or looking to elevate your current business, this episode offers a roadmap to success. Subscribe, leave reviews, and share to inspire others in the community, and don't forget to visit craigskelton.com for personalized support and guidance in reaching your goals.

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Speaker 1:

Hi and welcome to this week's Mortgage Broker Broadcast. I'm your host, craig Skelton, and this is the first episode of 2025. So happy new year, hope. You had a great Christmas break and we're now back in. It's the first week of January and you're ready to kick start your 2025.

Speaker 1:

And today we're getting into a topic that's especially relevant as we kick off a new year. I'm talking about why habits are far more effective than new year's resolutions. We're going to explore why resolutions often fail and why focusing on small, sustainable habits can lead to a far greater success in your business and personal life. So, for those that are joining us for the first time, as I said, I'm Craig Skelton, I have my own mortgage broker firm and I'm also akelton. I have my own mortgage broker firm and I'm also a mentor dedicated to helping self-employed brokers and business owners thrive. And this podcast is here to give you actionable insights and strategies to help grow your business and improve your mindset. And what better way to start the year than talking about habits, the building blocks of success? And if you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with other mortgage brokers, business owners that you know. Your support helps us reach more self-employed individuals like you and inspire them to take control of their success. So in this episode we'll cover why New Year's resolutions often fail and leave people frustrated, how habits are the foundation of long-term success and why focusing on one habit in January can set you up for a transformative year. And later on in the podcast we're getting some practical tips on how to build habits that last. So, as we step into the new year, it's tempting to set lofty goals and resolutions things like doubling your revenue or signing more clients or working fewer hours and while these goals are important, absolutely they're not what will get you there. Systems, processes and habits are what create sustainable change. So, for example, instead of saying I want to complete on 50 more mortgages applications this year, focus on the daily habits that will help you get there, like making five prospecting calls every morning or dedicating 30 minutes every single day to client follow-ups. Goals give you direction, but habits are what keeps you moving forward. So let's get into the main discussion of the podcast why habits are better than New Year's resolutions and how you can start building habits that stick.

Speaker 1:

The first key point is why people make New Year's resolutions. So every January, millions of people set resolutions. They want to lose weight or save more money or grow their business. It's exciting, absolutely. It feels like it's a fresh start and there's a sense of optimism in the air. And, as self-employed brokers and business owners, you might have resolutions like increasing your income or improving work-life balance or generate all great aspirations, absolutely. But the problem with resolutions is that they're often vague, overly ambitious and lack a clear plan. So, for instance, you might have a resolution to be more organized this year, but without a system in place, that resolution is likely to fizzle out by February.

Speaker 1:

The second point is why new year's resolutions just don't work. Studies show that most resolutions fail and some estimates are around 80% are abandoned by mid-February. Why is that the case? Well, they rely on motivations. Resolutions often depend on feeling motivated, but motivation is fleeting. Habits, on the other hand, work even when motivation wanes. The thing is as well with resolutions. They're often unrealistic. Many resolutions are too big or too vague, making them hard to achieve, and then there's no system or process to back that up. Without a process to follow, it's easy to lose momentum If your resolution is to generate more leads, but you don't create a habit of dedicating time to network or prospecting every single day, then that resolution becomes just like wishful thinking. The third point is why habits are the better option.

Speaker 1:

Let's look at habits and why they're far more effective than resolutions. Habits are small, consistent actions that compound over time to create significant change. And why do they work? First of all, they're sustainable. Habits are built gradually, making them easier to maintain. They also create identity change. When you focus on habits, you shift your identity. Instead of saying I want to generate more lead, just start thinking. I am the type of broker who consistently prospects. They compound over time. Small habits add up. For example, making one extra call every single day might not sound like much, but over a year it could lead to dozens more clients, dozens more leads.

Speaker 1:

What I want you to do is start with one habit in January, as we kick off the year. I encourage you to just focus on one habit this month. And how do you make that stick? Well, just make it small. Choose a habit that feels almost too easy. For instance, if you want to improve your productivity, start by dedicating just 10 minutes every single morning to planning your day, and then you can tie it to an existing routine.

Speaker 1:

Habits are easier to build when they're anchored to something that you already do or not habit that you already have. So, for example, if you want to start prospecting calls and tie it into something else that you do at a time of day that works for you, anchoring it to something else at a time that works for you gives it far more likely to become a habit and to succeed. And then track your progress. Use a habit tracker to see your consistency. This, like visual reminder, can be incredibly motivating. And habit tracker does work. Trust me, I use a habit tracker and it does work. And then celebrate those small wins Every time you follow through on your habit. Acknowledge that these small celebrations reinforce the behavior.

Speaker 1:

I just want to give you a few examples. I just want to give you some habits for brokers and business owners. Just a few ideas, a few habit ideas to consider. The first thing you can do is focus on follow-up client follow-up. Dedicate 15 minutes at a set time every single day to check in with your past clients, your past leads, just making sure that you're following those up. Another thing you can do is as self-employed, broke business owners, you're continually learning and growing, so that's something else that you can make a habit. You reading one page of a book or listening to a 10-minute podcast every single day is a positive habit to take for your learning and for your development.

Speaker 1:

And then time blocking Plan your day the day before or even each morning if you want to do it, then to focus on high priority tasks. Time blocking absolutely works. And just remember, the goal is not to overhaul your entire life in January. That's the mistake that every person makes is to build one habit that sets the tone for the rest of the year. I know a broker who a business owner actually who last year they dedicated to focusing on one habit in January and that was spending the first 30 minutes of their day on lead generation. And it seems so small at the time, but over the course of the year it's led to a significant increase in new leads and new clients for that broker. Simply, it was just one thing.

Speaker 1:

Now I know what you might be thinking. This is all great, craig. Yes, I want to do habits, but how do I choose which habits to focus on first? The first thing is start to identify the area of your business or life where a small improvement could make the biggest impact. For example, if lead generation is a challenge, and it is for most brokers. Focus on a habit relating to prospecting and if you struggle with, say, time management, then focus on planning your day. The key is to start with one habit that aligns with your biggest goal. And what do you do? What if you fail to stick at your habit? Well, my advice to you on that is then don't be too hard on yourself.

Speaker 1:

Missing one day doesn't mean that you've failed on your habit. It's the consistency over time that matters. Get back on track the next day and keep going. You've got to remember that it takes a month to get a habit truly into your daily structure. So don't if you do miss a day, then don't beat yourself up, but keep going. Be very persistent, but be honest with yourself. Get back on track as soon as you can. As I said, it takes a month to build a habit and get it as part of your day.

Speaker 1:

So just to summarise the first podcast of the year, the first thing is ditch New Year's resolutions and focus on building habits instead. Resolutions fail, but habits last. The second thing is start small and focus on just one habit in January Consistency is more important than intensity and then use systems, processes, to support your habits, tie them to existing routines, track your progress and celebrate your wins. So today we've explored why new year's resolutions don't work, why habits are a better alternative and how focusing on just one habit this month can set the stage for an incredible year.

Speaker 1:

Remember, success isn't about big, sweeping changes. It's about small, consistent actions that compound over time. So that's it. That's the first episode of the year, the first episode of 2025. If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, leave a review and share it with other brokers, other business owners that you know really want to inspire brokers and business owners to make 2025 their best year yet.

Speaker 1:

And next week we've got lee roland back onto podcast. Lee roland has just recently gone da and I want to get lee back onto podcast to talk a little bit more about that. So thanks for tuning to the mortgage broker broadcast and here's to like a habit-filled success to start 2025. Remember, small changes lead to big results and we'll see you next week on the podcast. Stay motivated, stay positive, stay focused and if you are considering becoming a self-employed mortgage broker or looking to start your own mortgage broker brand and business, or just looking to accelerate the growth of your existing business, visit website craigskeltoncom, schedule a call or just simply get in touch and let's have a chat about how I can help and support you to achieve your goals in 2025. Stay motivated, stay focused, stay positive and run your own race.