Balancing Work and Life
Work to Live Don’t Live to Work
Real Estate life is TOUGH!
If you’re a real estate professional you are fast-paced, high energy, and charismatic. Those qualities, and more, are necessary within the real estate industry. But are you balanced? Burnout is real oh lively ones!
Some of you who have been in the industry through thick and thin have learned to balance the good with the bad. For those of you who are getting into it, there are a few things you’re going to want to keep in mind.
It is common knowledge that within the first few years the failure rate for agents is between 80–90%. Some of those failures are newbies jumping in before they understand the job and what it takes.
Example: Having the money to put into their name and network enough to get their business started.
Another aspect of failure is…. BURNOUT! You don’t have to be an agent or broker to experience burnout. There are many suffering from burnout in all types of careers.
ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM BURN OUT?!
You know when you start a new gig and you have nothing but energy for the work? You get excited to get to work. You have ideas and plans for your success, and can’t wait to get started!
That was at the start, but how have you been feeling lately? Have you started or been feeling any of the following:
- Cynicism toward your work and your colleagues
- Trouble focusing energy in your work and clients
- Lack of satisfaction in your achievements
- Physical health problems: stomach issues, headaches, consistent muscle tension
If the answer is YES, you may be feeling the impact of burnout. So… what now? How do you stop it? There are a few things you can start working on RIGHT NOW!
Let’s get you back to that self-supporting and high energy professional!
SET BOUNDARIES:
I understand the real estate world has you in it to win it! You are there for your clients and some of those clients feel an entitlement to you and your time. This may mean you are getting PRIORITY emails, texts, and phone calls all day… and into the night.
If you set boundaries with your clients from the start they will know what to expect from you. This will also help you turn off the work part and focus on balancing your work life with your personal life.
NOTICE YOUR SURROUNDINGS:
Are you always talking about work? Outside of being in a work zone or with a client, do you have a hard time shutting off the work brain? If so, you may want to consider surrounding yourself with less work-related people and events.
I understand networking is SO IMPORTANT in the real estate world. If your “downtime” is a work event and hanging out with colleagues that keep you in the work mode, you are not balanced.
Take a step back and consider your core values.
When you are connecting with clients, what personal details do you enjoy sharing? Pick up a hobby that will contribute to those core values.
TIME MANAGEMENT:
If you want a balanced life then time management is a priority. When you consider: work all day, networking, and being home by dinner time — that takes organization!
If you are great at organizing your workday, take it a step further and start to organize your whole day. Schedule time for your life!
Many times people can organize their work time but lose track of their personal time. This can leave you feeling like you only have time for work and never have time for yourself.
What is that line from The Shining?
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”
Don’t be Jack! It doesn’t end well!
You have plenty of time for yourself! Now, you need to make a commitment to yourself and invest time in a genuine balance between work and life.
SMALL CHANGES = BIG WINS:
If you notice you are needing to make some big changes to fix the work/life balance, that is a win in itself! You are seeing room for improvement and success, great job!
Every change you want to make does not have to happen at once. We have all heard that before, or a version of it. The key is to hear the advice and take action. Consistent baby steps of change are going to lead to a steady rate of success and happiness.
Be sure to take the time to acknowledge your baby steps too! Sit down once or twice a week and think about what you have accomplished.
You know when they say “fake it ’til you make it”?
If you’re in a rut and having a hard time acknowledging your wins: try saying, out loud, the tasks you have completed. You don’t have to say anything else, only the tasks checked off on your to-do list.
RECOGNIZE THE WINS OF OTHERS
It is a lot easier to see what other people are accomplishing then it is to see our own. If you are having a hard time being your own cheerleader right now, be someone else’s.
There’s a trick for this to work though… when you get a cheer back you have to accept it!
Many times we set high expectations for ourselves. So when someone congratulates us on a win we make a habit of pushing it away.
Stop doing that! Accept the compliment or the congratulations for what it is, you did a good job.
The more you cheer people on, the easier it will be to start cheering yourself on!
Once you put the above steps into motion you are going to see a great improvement in your work/life balance. You are going to start feeling that energy, and creativity that you had in the beginning.
You got involved in the real estate industry for a reason. It is a tough gig but for the people who are in it for the right reasons, it can be very rewarding. As you pursue your success, remember: