If you’re reading this in 2026, you’re already ahead

If you’re reading this at the start of 2026, pause for a moment and acknowledge this:

You’re still standing.

That alone puts you in a much smaller group than you were just a few years ago.

Here’s what the data shows:

In 2021, there were roughly 420,000 licensed residential loan officers in the United States.

By 2025, that number dropped to under 100,000.

By 2026, projections put the number closer to 65,000.

At the same time, U.S. mortgage origination volume followed a different path.

After peaking in 2021, volume declined sharply, but is now projected to increase again in 2026, reaching approximately $2.28 trillion.

Same industry.

Far fewer loan officers.

Far more opportunities.

BUT, your growth won’t just happen by sticking around.

Why 2026 Won’t Reward “Hopeful” Goal-Setting

Every January, loan officers set goals.

Income goals.

Production goals.

Lifestyle goals.

Then we enter what I call: February Quitter’s Month.

It’s tragic.

The issue isn’t effort. And it’s not ambition.

It’s that we’re not properly taught how to goal-set.

Frankly, I hate traditional goal-setting, and I have invested hundreds of hours reading, learning, and studying the proper way to set goals. I am going to share it with you today.

This simple process has harnessed my drive daily, weekly, and monthly, yielding 20% annual growth in production for 10+ years while reducing my weekly hours worked.

Performance science is clear:

• Outcome goals tell you where you want to end up
• Performance goals tell you how you’ll measure progress
• Process goals determine what you do consistently, regardless of mood or market

Research consistently shows that process-driven goals lead to far better performance than outcome goals alone.

Simply put:

Production doesn’t come from wanting a result.

It comes from honoring a repeatable process.

Understand what needs to be done in the days and you’ll win the year.

But that’s not all.

Studies from Dominican University of California show that people who write down their goals are significantly more likely to achieve them than those who don’t.

Even more important, the highest performers aren’t just goal writers; they are goal reviewers.

Regular review creates clarity, accountability, and course correction.

The takeaway isn’t a flashy statistic.

It’s this:

Writing goals creates intention. Reviewing them consistently creates results.

That’s why two loan officers can face the same market and experience completely different outcomes.

Printing out my goals and reading them quickly every morning, and again during my Sunday Night Ritual, has given me massive clarity.

So, let me show you the properly set PROCESS goals.

If volume is returning and competition is thinner, the advantage will go to loan officers who simplify execution.

Use this framework:

1. Outcome (The Destination)

Define the end clearly (and simply)

• Income
• Fundings

2. Performance (The Scoreboard)

Decide what numbers signal progress:

• # Leads generated
• # Preapprovals active
• # Pipeline units

3. Process (The Non-Negotiables)

This is where most people fall apart (and where winners separate):

• Daily Screen-to-Screen (social media posts)
• Daily Voice-to-Voices (phone conversations)
• Weekly Face-to-Faces (online or offline meetings)

^ for example

Then take this final step, and a critical one:

Schedule the process.

What isn’t scheduled doesn’t survive.

And if you’ve read this far, bravo.

Keep reading, because I will give you the simple one-sheeter that you can use to build all this out.

Your time to experience incredible success starts now.

The last few years quietly removed:

• Loose standards
• Undisciplined execution
• Hope-based business models

What remains is a smaller, more serious field and a recovering market.

The loan officers who will dominate the next cycle aren’t the loudest.

They’re the ones who:

• Write their daily standards
• Review them daily
• Execute viciously

Let’s build this year properly.

Reply with the word “GO!” and I will personally reply with my 2x5 Business Plan, including an example of one completed to guide you.

2026 will be your best year.

Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you!

1. Book a call to speak with one of our advisors about joining the Growth Only Community.
2. Join our Facebook group for Top Producing Modern Loan Officers.
3. Connect with me on social.