Today was one of those days I took a moment to visit the Dale who was a couple years in the business trying to figure out how to be successful in this business with balance. I tend to do this when I am feeling genuine burnout.
I really try to fit in a good 15000 or more steps in my day, because there is a nice side-affect besides improving health. What is it? I call it just plain old joy possessing me, along with the ability to manage the stress accompanying being a natural problem solver.
I had just come off of an extended holiday spent away visiting my daughter and Son-In-Law working the entire time. They were wanting to leave out to treat me to a dinner, only to hear please give me a minute to finish this email on another fire I must put out!
As I write I am thinking of the new Agents who approach me with how do I make this business work for me? How do I balance prospecting, with serving Clients with taking good care of me with making a good living?
I tell them real estate is a cycle of prospecting for Clients, Serving Clients with marketing, tours, negotiations, and the hardest part is when you have worked so hard to have deal-pendings, getting them closed can be extremely draining.
You always want to have deal-pendings in your pipeline, but be prepared there is a price you may pay when you have a lot of them? What is it? Deal-pendings require good enduring problem solving skills.
I would rather not bore you with naming as many as all the spare change you place in the large clear jar sitting on your fireplace hearth.
My point is whatever the problem popping up, it takes time to talk, text, email, or deal with the issue in person with valued Clients, Loan Officers, Attorneys, Inspectors, Title Staff, Village Staff, etc. It is so easy to fill up a day with putting out fires it can rob an Agent from spending quality time on prospecting, or belly to belly face to face with a valued Client wanting to purchase and/or sell a home.
It can rob you from vital exercise time, properly eating, more importantly managing the stress so easy to sneak up on you. It can especially cause you to momentarily hate the career you so love.
I remember visiting my Brother-In-Law who was so tired with asking his children to do their chores, I found him pouting in his own time-out corner of his basement resituating "I do not like my children, but I love my children!" over and over again.
Just yesterday I caught myself feeling some strong resentment, because I gave in to working on a Sunday, the one day I give to myself to refresh. I actually told a potential Seller I thought it best another Agent serve them.
It took nearly a day of feeling thoroughly irritated over things I do not normally allow to irritate me, to realize I was experiencing burnout. I had gave so much of myself to problem solving all through the year, and especially while on vacation, during all the constant fires this business causes a busy Agent to put out daily, I allowed burnout to sneak in and visit me.
This can so easily happen when you really love what you do, do it well, been doing it well for a long time, and have built a reputation of using endurance, charm, and thoughtful kindness to motivate cooperation. I know I am describing a lot of my valued readers who are not necessarily Colleagues.
The downside to this is if you are not managing the stress accompanying this territory of good customer service, burnout catches you by surprise. You will find yourself needing to take a good few days break to start to feel a hunger again to serve your Clients.
If you do not give yourself the needed break, you will feel resentment, finding yourself snapping at people for things not normally bothering you.
Remind yourself you owe yourself weekly refreshing time, and a real vacation when even your most valued Clients do not have problem solving access to you.
Indeed, allow it to be OK to give yourself what I call an extra Mental Health Day so you can recharge to be at your problem solving best when it is needed the most!
Congratulations Dale you booked a much earned cruise!
I am telling myself now not to feel guilty about well planning for valued Clients to connect with their Loan Officers and Attorneys to find needed solutions as they arise when I am away. Not to feel guilty if a Client is not willing to wait for my return only to go wandering off into other pastures while I am away.
I initially started writing about price to pay in this business. One of mine has been not allowed the grace and mercy to inform my valued Clients I am on vacation, out of fear they will make emotional decisions causing them more stress out of feelings of abandonment.
As I write this message I am dealing with some real burnout. I give far too much of myself to not get some daily peace and renewal, I need to be telling myself far more often.
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