For many real estate agents, now is the time of year when business hits the winter doldrums. Rather than fretting over the slower market, take the time to think about the year ahead and how you can plan for greater success in 2015.

Real estate coach Mike Lindstrom recently offered the winners of HomeFinder.com's Agent Makeover Sweepstakes ideas on how to to do just that. The video below is a sample of the advice he shared with the winning agents. In it, he recommends three ways agents can revitalize their business in the new year:

• Be mindful of how your personal life impacts your professional success
• Set goals and hold yourself accountable
• Embrace technology, don't fear it

Click through to the next page for details, helpful articles and app suggestions!

Your Personal Life Impacts Your Professional Success

Work-life balance is more than a catchphrase. According to Lindstrom, it's a concept agents need to heed in order to take their business to the next level. "Personal life and professional life are so intertwined in a real estate agent's life," he says. "The one thing you have to keep in mind is that you take yourself everywhere you go. So if you're not happy with yourself, there's no way you're going to show up happy to a prospect or client."

This includes taking care of both your mind and body. If you need a little help with that, there is (of course) an app for that. Several, in fact. A simple search for "wellness apps" will turn up dozens of apps focused on fitness, nutrition, meditation, and much more. Here are a few suggestions:

• Bloom* - This apps lets you prioritize good habits and phase out the bad ones, as well as set reminders for working out, drinking more water, practicing gratitude, and more.
• Lift - A life coaching app that aids in setting goals. Connect with a community for extra support, and track your progress with analytical tools.
• Calm - A guided meditation app that helps you soothe anxiety and ground yourself.

Create a Plan for Achieving Your Goals

"Plan your work, and work your plan." That's what RE Technology's CEO, Victor Lund, is always saying. It's not enough to simply have the desire for success, you have to plan for it in order to achieve it.

Lindstrom echoes this thought and encourages agents to write their goals down. "What's written is real," he says. "You actually set goals for yourself, and I think that's one thing that a lot of real estate agents--they know that intuitively, but they don't take the time and invest in themselves to actually write down those goals specifically for the future."

For more on setting goals, see the following articles:

• S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting For Real Estate Agents
• 5 Steps for Successful Business Planning

Conquering Technology

Lindstrom's final piece of advice is to "conquer technology." This, however, is more about conquering fear. "You hear about LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook pages, and all these things. And it's daunting to a real estate agent, quite frankly."

It's okay to be intimidated by technology. Even techies get frustrated. Just don't let that fear prevent you from learning new things that may really improve your business. You don't have to become proficient in multiple technologies, either. Instead, Lindstrom advises focusing on just a few tech tools or services that you can get really good at and feel comfortable using.

"Whatever you resist will persist. You keep pushing it back, it's going to keep coming at you," Lindstrom says. Remember that there are always others who are willing to help. "Find people that are better than you to get you where you need to be."

And if you ever need help on using, learning, and finding new technologies, RE Technology is always here to help. Don't hesitate to reach out to us!