Resolutions are usually vague wishes wrapped in good intentions. They are fragile. They break the moment the market pushes back. And in this industry, the market always pushes back.
Joe De Sena tells a story about freezing on a Vermont farm – snowing sideways, fingers numb, zero accountability. It reminded him of how the ancient Spartans tested their youth: by removing all comfort to see who remained standing. I know that feeling. It took me right back to the ‘Hellmecula’ Spartan experience. I’ve completed military boot camp, and let me be clear: Hellmecula was harder. It’s in those moments, when you want to quit but don’t, that you actually find yourself.
Joe realized then what every top producer eventually realizes: Character isn’t built when conditions are ideal. It’s built when you could quit, but don’t.
As we look at the year ahead in real estate – with rate volatility, inventory battles, and industry noise – we have to stop looking for the “easy option.” If there’s an easy option and a hard option, you already know which one wins.
Why “Resolutions” Don’t Work for CEOs and Top Producers
Most agents and leaders chase comfort and call it discipline. They set goals like:
- “I want to work with easier clients.”
- “I want the phone to ring more.”
- “I want my team to be less demanding.”
As De Sena points out, that’s not a reset. That’s a delay. You are waiting for the world to get softer.
A true Spartan reset isn’t about changing your results; it’s about changing your identity. It is shifting your internal narrative to: I am someone who chooses the hard way.
The “Simple Hard Way” Reset for Real Estate
Right now is the forge. The holiday lull is over. The spring market is coming. Discomfort isn’t a flaw in the system; it is the system.
Drawing from De Sena’s framework, here is how we apply the Spartan Reset to our business:
1. MOVE (The Action) Joe’s Rule: One non-negotiable daily effort. The Real Estate Reset: Stop negotiating with yourself about lead generation. Pick the one activity you hate the most because it is the most effective – cold calling, door knocking, recruiting appointments – and do it first. No excuses. No “getting ready to get ready.”
2. FUEL (The Input) Joe’s Rule: Remove one thing that weakens you. The Real Estate Reset: What is poisoning your mindset? Is it the doom-scrolling of interest rate news? Is it the “water cooler” gossip in the office about how hard the market is? Is it a toxic top producer who holds your culture hostage? Cut it out. Starve the distractions.
3. MIND (The Perspective) Joe’s Rule: One mental rep that reminds you who’s in charge. The Real Estate Reset:When a deal dies or a recruit ghosts you, that is your rep. That is the weight. Don’t wish it didn’t happen. Use it to callous your mind. The amateur crumbles; the pro adjusts.
The Year of the Wolf
De Sena said something powerful about the upcoming season: “Wolves don’t wait for perfect conditions. They hunt in storms.”
In 2026, the real estate industry is going to be a storm. The “grazers” – the agents waiting for 3% rates and easy listings – are going to starve. The wolves are going to feast.
This year, don’t build a roster; build a pack. Stop looking for agents who want a “safe place” and start looking for the ones who want to hunt in the storm.
Your First Hard Choice
If you are a CEO, a Team Leader, a Recruiter, an Agent or an MLO, you have a choice this week. You can keep looking for the hack, the shortcut, or the magic script. Or, you can accept that the obstacle is the way.
Burn the easy button.
Don’t resolve to be better. Decide to be harder.
Let’s get to work.
Harder not better love it.
Let’s go pack