How are You Staying Motivated?

Last night, a colleague leaned over my desk and asked me in a confiding tone "How are you staying motivated?" 

I hadn't really thought about it until that point, but I realized something:  even though our market has slowed, I feel like I am busier than ever!  I've been getting to work earlier, staying later, and basically feel like I have a list of things I'd like to accomplish that is a mile long.  Not really...but it is a good four pages.   

It's easy to let slow sales lower morale, and its tough to stay motivated.  We've all been there.  I've been there.  I was frustrated that I was on floor duty/open house and didn't really have much to do.  In a resort community like ours, we have busy seasons and slow times.  At open houses, it can be hard to be mobile, and its easy to fall into non-productive habits (who hasn't read for pleasure or spent downtime time online?).  To keep myself occupied, I decided to take an online course, e-Pro.  It was perfect for sitting open house, as I could mold the class times to my schedule, it was quiet, and I didn't have to take time to drive to an educational facility.  It was useful.  It was empowering.  And it led me to several new endeavors, all of which, in addition to showing listings and working with clients, keep me motivated during slower office hours:

Website Development:
I took the e-Pro class to help me better evaluate how I'd like to build my site. I researched the sites of other professionals in my area and others.  I spent hours thinking about what I'd like to find on my site, what my clients might want, and how to make it a resource for more than just real estate.  And once I built it, I continued to revamp it, to make it more user friendly and give clients access to more market information.  Each month I follow up with a local restaurant to post a Maui Recipe, I contact the Arts and Cultural Center to keep up on Local Events, and I post market statistics for each area in the Kapalua Resort.  My website has provided a vehicle for me to keep my clients updated and provided a resource for them as well.

Blogging:
Having a blog on Active Rain and on my websitehas been wonderful for me.  I haven't used it as much for a social network as I should, but it's been fantastic for SEO, researching what other professionals are doing to market their listings effectively, stay on top of current consumer interest, and most of all, put together information for my clients that they will find helpful as they contemplate a second home purchase.

I find that by writing about my community, I am more excited about living here and about all that Maui has to offer.  Blogging has helped me appreciate the little things (best beaches, events, local restaurants) that make living on this island special

Blogging has also led me to social networking, so facebook and twitter are now a part of my lexicon (though not a daily routine). The desire to keep my blog updated has propelled me forward: helping me structure my schedule, stay current on local news and events, and update my website. 

Revamping Marketing Systems and Plan:
This could keep me busy for the rest of my career!  However, in the ever changing world of technology, I think you do have to keep up on current trends to best represent your listings, investigate what works and doesn't work for other professionals, what appeals to buyers and sellers in your area, and how you can meet those needs. 

I've created plans and checklists, created timelines for campaigns, gone over past sales to evaluate the sources, and changed marketing strategies.  It's too soon to see if they are working, but it has kept me motivated and busy.

Goal Setting:
Review your personal and professional goals.  What do you want to accomplish?  Ask yourself:

• What do you want?
• Why do you want it?
• How will you achieve it?
• When will you accomplish it?

Okay, so this is where I'm no expert.  However, just seeing what I want to accomplish in writing has helped me structure my time and evaluate what is working for me.  I try to review them every work day (in fact, I put them on my to do list!). 

I spoke with a friend who has been in the business a lot longer than I have.  She said that giving herself projects has helped her in past down markets--they've helped her stay positive, social and informed.  I'm hoping that all of this will make me a better representative for my clients and a happier individual.

So this is what's been motivating me.  What are YOU doing to stay motivated?

PS. I forgot to mention volunteering!  Getting involved in the community and with your local board can be very rewarding.  Volunteering at the Board level has helped me stay abreast of local issues and politics, as well as national issues for realtors, as they impact our business.