Episode 828: Stop Setting Goals: Build a 2026 System That Works - Your Daily Real Estate Podcast with Tristan Ahumada

Summary4 min read

Your Daily Real Estate Podcast with Tristan Ahumada
Episode 828: Stop Setting Goals: Build a 2026 System That Works
Date: March 7, 2026
Host: Tristan Ahumada

Episode Overview

This concise episode is part two in Tristan Ahumada’s series on planning for 2026, with a focus on practical systems over traditional goal-setting. Tristan walks listeners through his signature “process” document—showing how to transform big-picture ambitions into actionable, calendar-driven strategies. He uses connecting with past clients as an example, emphasizing the power of focusing on what already works in your business and deepening your “why.” Listeners are guided, step by step, toward a more strategic, actionable, and motivated business plan for the year.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shift from Goal-Setting to System-Building

Tristan challenges the usual focus on setting static goals, encouraging listeners to instead design systems that drive ongoing action and improvement.
Quote: “Stop thinking just ‘set a goal and wish for the best.’ Build something you actually do every week, every month.” (paraphrased summary tone)

2. The Process Document: Breaking Down the Structure (01:15)

The “process” document starts with a specific, timely, and actionable priority or goal.
- Example: “I want to connect more with my past clients in 2026 to get 10 more transactions from them by the end of 2026.”
- Flexibility to adjust numbers based on individual context (can be 5, 10, 50, etc.).

3. The Importance of “Why” (02:30)

Tristan urges listeners to dig deeper than just financial motivation.
- Quote: "But what’s the real reason? ... What does it make you feel? Do you have a chip on your shoulder?... Does it make you more purposeful?" (02:50)
- Encourages introspection: understand the underlying drive beyond surface-level incentives.

4. Identifying the Problem (03:20)

Space in the document to clarify if you’re solving a specific problem; can be skipped if not directly applicable.

5. Strategy: Leaning Into What Works (03:40)

Pick three core strategies supporting your priority.
- Lean into strengths: use what’s already effective in your business, but add one area you want to develop.
- Example for past client connections:
  - 1. Community events
  - 1. Gifting
  - 1. Online/Remarketing

6. Action Steps: The Breakdown (04:08)

For each strategy, create concrete action items.
- Community Events:
  - “How many events do you want to do? Last year I did two—I think I can do four. Two larger ones, two small ones.” (04:30)
  - Actions under events:
    1. Plan four events.
    2. Improve and outline follow-up, especially with no-shows.
    3. Make more noise on social media about the events.
  - Each action must be specific and attached to dates/times in your calendar.
- Quote: “Here’s where the magic starts happening... as you break strategy number one down...” (04:50)

7. Calendar Integration: Where the System Lives (05:10)

Assign every action a clear, non-negotiable time block.
- Example: “Wednesday, 10am to 12pm, I have two hours. I’m going to block time there to outline and strategize what these four events are going to look like for the year.” (05:28)
- Enlist relevant team members for collaborative strategies; plan meetings accordingly.

8. The System Is Alive—Keep Iterating (06:10)

The process document is a living document: as actions are completed, update and evolve the steps for continual progress.
- Quote: “Now as you get these done because you put them on a calendar, you’re going to start scratching them off and they’re going to morph—those actions can change.” (06:24)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

(02:50) “But what’s the real reason? ... What does it make you feel? Do you have a chip on your shoulder?... Does it make you more purposeful?”
(04:50) “Here’s where the magic starts happening... as you break strategy number one down...”
(05:28) “Wednesday, 10am to 12pm, I have two hours. I’m going to block time there to outline and strategize what these four events are going to look like for the year.”
(06:24) “Now as you get these done because you put them on a calendar, you’re going to start scratching them off and they’re going to morph—those actions can change.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:00 — Episode introduction; sets the context for systems over goals
01:15 — Explaining the process document’s structure
02:30 — Deep dive on understanding your “why”
03:40 — Selecting core strategies
04:08 — Breaking strategies into actionable steps
05:10 — Scheduling action items on your calendar
06:10 — Emphasizing the living nature of the system

Takeaways

Build systems for your 2026 business, not just static goals.
Connect every action step to your deeper motivation—the “why.”
Lean into strengths but push yourself with new strategies.
Schedule everything—make your process live in your calendar.
Treat plans as living documents: adapt them as your business grows.

For Tristan’s detailed process document, contact him with the episode number (#828). He encourages interaction and is happy to share resources to help listeners implement this approach.

Loading summary

Transcript1 lines

[00:00]
A
All right, it's part two of two for planning 2026. This is a shortened version. If you want the long version, go on YouTube. Find it. It's two hours long. Today, I want to go over the process, meaning once you've done part one, which was yesterday, super simple. Five minutes, identifying the one that you want to work on from your health, relationships, work, or growth. Let's say you said, I want to do work, Tristan, I know what I could improve on. It's connecting with my past clients. That's what I really want, because I know, I know I could be doing a lot more. Let's dive into this one, into the process. We'll plug it in so you understand how it works and what you need to be actually doing. If you need this episode, this is episode 7 20. We're going to go over the process. It's a document I have. If you need it. Just tell me what episode this was in. And if you're watching a YouTube short or Instagram short, anything, just put in the word process and I'll send this over to you. Let's get right into this. I'm Tristan. This is your daily real estate. It's a podcast, it's a show. It's meant to be about five to 10 minutes every day on something that you should be working on for your business. Now, this document that's the process, has at the very top the priority or the goal. In this case, I want to just create more business for myself for 2026, coming from my past clients. So my goal, my priority has to be specific, timely, and actionable. That means that I need to know what I want to do with this. Well, let's say I want to connect more with my past clients in 2026 to get 10 more transactions from them. Now, look, you can plug in sphere. You can reduce the amount to five. You can increase it to 50. I don't know. The point is I'm using 10. 10 more transactions from past clients by the end of 2026, December 31st. All right, now, I have past clients. I have specific. I have timely but actionable. Okay, well, what are we going to do with it? Well, by focusing on the things that are already working in my business. That's the difference you're going to put down at the bottom. Now, that's the priority. Next section is why. Why is this important to you? Why? What are the motivating factors? Why are you even having this plan? Now, I asked this because most of the time, when it comes to a business process, Business priority, business goal. It seems to always come down to finances. And there's nothing wrong with that answer. But I want you to dig further. I want you to dig deeper. I want you to fully answer it. Because everyone's going to say, well, look, if I have more money, I can take care of my family, I can buy a house, I can take care of my spouse, I could buy the car, I can go on vacation, whatever. That's all cool. But what's the real reason? I want you to dig deeper. Like, what does it make you feel? Do you have a chip on your shoulder? Is that part of it? Nothing wrong with that. Does it make you feel accomplished? Does it make you more purposeful? What are you really fighting? That's the why. And then under that has, what problem are you solving? If you're solving a problem, sometimes you are, sometimes you're not. You can skip that one or you can fill it out. Here's the important piece, though. Three strategies. Remember the top where it said priority that you want to close. 5 more, 10 more, 50 more, whatever. Transactions from your past clients from a place that's already working. Well, here are the three strategies, right? What's going to support that? If you know that you want more business from your past clients and you currently get them from community events. Well, strategy number one is going to be community events. Let's go further, if we could make this better. Okay, Number one, community events. Number two, well, you know, Tristan, I love sending them things to their house, giving them gifts and connecting with them, right? So I've got community events, then I've got gifting. And then number three, Tristan, you know what I've always wanted to do, but I'm not doing too well because the other two do so well. For me, I always wanted to do more online, maybe remarketing or something like that. So online connections. So now you got three strategies. Number one, let's go with events. Number two. Number two is gift. You love gifting. And number three is going to be online. So now that you've got those three strategies, two of them were your strengths, one of them you want to get better at. Now you're going to break down each one. This is where the magic starts happening. Because if you start breaking strategy number one down and you're like, well, where do I get my business from for these people? Right now, it looks like it's events. Well, let's break this down. How many events do you want to do this year, Tristan? Oh, well, that's your last year. I did two I think I can go for four. Two larger ones, two small ones. Okay, four events. Actions. I want to do four events. And here, here's where I think the dates are. But I need to really plan this, right? So that's action number one. Do four events. Put a pin on that. Action number two, when it comes to events, well, I can do a much better job on the follow up, right? Because I don't do as good of a job as I want on following up. Making sure that I reach out to those people that didn't actually show up and connect with them and say, hey, can you make it to the next one? Right, so follow up. What does that look like? I need to outline the follow up. That's the key. That's action number two. Outline the follow up. And number three, I would say I need to make more noise than I'm making now on social media for our events. Like man, everyone that I know needs to know that we're having an event. So plan out what social media strategy looks like for events. Now I have three actions under that one that said events. You see how all of them are going to roll this way. But here's the key piece to this one because this is the magic. Now that I've got these three action steps, I need to put them into my calendar. Okay, so I've got, I want to do four events. That's action number one. Four, four events. And I want to plan on it. Well, when should I spend some time doing this? Well, let me look at my calendar. Looks like Wednesday, 10am to 12pm I have two hours. I'm going to block time there to outline and strategize what these four events are going to look like for the year. Okay, I like it. I like where this is going. Number two. Well, since I not that great at the follow up, I'm okay, but I'm not that great at it. I see some time on Friday this week where I've got about an hour or two. Let's go for two where I can work on that follow up. What would that follow up look like if I wanted to do an A job and is it me that needs to work on it? Or maybe I need some help on this one if I've got help like an admin. Okay, got it. Perfect, let's do that. Friday, 10am to 12pm Looks like we've got the same spot easy. And then the third one, well, is online and I want to make a, I want to make bigger noise on social but you know, I don't do anything there. That one is probably going to require a lot more thinking. I may need to get somebody else to help me on this so I can think better. Okay, so looks like next week I might need. I might need Myra on this on my team, or I might need Mark. And maybe we all come together and say, hey, can, can you all get together with me at this time? We'll go to a coffee shop. Let's mastermind and take a look at this so that we can do a much better job on social because I need you guys here now as you get these done because you put them on a calendar, you're going to start scratching them off and they're going to morph those actions. Now can change action number one because you're done with it. It's like, well, now let's plan event number one. And these are progressive. It's a live document. If you need this, let me know. I've got it. It's a beautiful document. I've been using it for a long time. It's color coded and everything. But if you need this, it's episode 720 and I'll send this over to you. If you have any questions on this one, let me know. Have an awesome day.