Enjoying the fruits of your labour
We need to find ways to celebrate our success on a regular and consistent basis. To take stock and remind ourselves (and our ever-patient families) why we do what we do.
Happy Labour Day!
On this national holiday, I'm reflecting on how we enjoy the fruits of our labour.
So I put the question to you - how do you celebrate your success?
It's a question many salespeople struggle with.
Celebrate? What, like a holiday? Who has time for that?
One of the challenging aspects of real estate is that there is always more work to do. When a property goes unconditional, we quickly have to focus on the next fire that needs putting out, or that next appraisal we need to prepare for. And there is always that internal voice that pops up when we make a sale: "Great, but now you need to find another listing!"
It's also built into our real estate awards culture which is fixated on production. No matter how much success you achieve, there is always a higher level you could get to. There is always another agent to chase or keep ahead of.
The competitive drive to always 'do more' is part of what makes good agents stand out from all the rest. But it comes at a cost.
This kind of relentless pursuit of success can be frustrating for partners of real estate professionals, who are often left wondering - when does this ever end? When do you pause to enjoy the success you are so determined to achieve?
It can also lead to burnout. Talented salespeople often reach a production ceiling where they are making lots of sales, and earning lots of money, but simply don't have time to do more. Which leads them to ask the question, what next?
When we focus solely on growth, but one day find growth is no longer possible, what is there to drive us onward?
Looking back, I know I was approaching burnout when a sale was no longer exciting. The fist-pumping satisfaction of a job well done was traded for a tired sigh of relief, followed by the realisation that it was 7 pm, I was dying to go home, but I still had a zillion phone messages to respond to.
When it's no longer fun and exciting to achieve a sale, take that as a massive warning sign. It's time to slow down, take stock of how far you've come and enjoy the fruits of your labour.
Ways to enjoy success
When we think about celebrating success and pausing to recharge, many salespeople jump straight to the idea of a tropical island holiday. The problem is, you can only realistically do that once a year if you are lucky. And one week on a beach can feel a million miles away when you are grinding at the coal face, working your butt off. It's also not enough for our partners and spouses who put up with all the late-night appointments, constant phone calls out of working hours and Sunday open homes every weekend.
We need to find ways to celebrate our success on a regular and consistent basis. To take stock and remind ourselves (and our ever-patient families) why we do what we do.
Perhaps more importantly, we need to give ourselves permission to take breaks and reward ourselves when our hard work pays off, even if it's been a while between wins. It's a long race, and health is the highest form of wealth.
Micro-reward moments
Here is a list of possible ways you could celebrate your next win in real estate. That 'win' could be a new listing, a sale, your first auction, or getting a company award.
Pick one (or a few) from this list and book it into your calendar the moment the good news comes in. Timboxing reward moments is critical to ensure they actually happen.
- Spoil yourself by booking a massage, or better yet, a couples massage for you and your partner or best friend.
- Book a night out with your significant other, or a good friend (and turn your phone off).
- Deposit a lump sum in your investment account.
- Take your family to the movies.
- Take your kids to a sports match or show.
- Take a day off during the week. Put an out-of-office message on your email and check your phone once at the end of the day. Change your voicemail to let your clients know you won't be available.
- If taking a day off is too hard - try just having a sleep-in on a weekday.
- Make a donation to a charity you care about.
- Take your team out for lunch (ie. your PA, buyers agent, or your real estate buddy).
- Come home with a new family board game.
- Book a one or two night getaway. Think top-10 holiday park if you have young kids, or a little Airbnb by the beach if it's just for 2 adults. Go midweek if it's easier.
- Suprise your partner / spouse with a picnic.
- Buy yourself something nice. The key with this one is to try and make it a shopping experience, rather than an online purchase. Spend an afternoon visiting shops, having lunch with a friend.
- Pause now and come up with 2 or 3 more ways you would like to celebrate your next win. Keep this list somewhere handy!
The truth is, you don't need to make a sale to do all these things. We should do them just because we care. But it's extra important to pause when we do achieve success because otherwise your're just a mouse on a wheel, running until your legs fall off.
It's also important to have lots of options to choose from. Many of us are in real estate because we love variety, and don't want to do the same thing every day. So pick a different reward each time to keep things fresh.
Next time you have a win in real estate. Pause and take a moment. Think about how far you've come, everything you've been through, and how you are still here, putting in good work, making things happen.
Well done you.
Check out these related guides on improving mental health, building thriving relationships and managing burnout...
Andrew Duncan
Andrew Duncan
Andrew Duncan
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Use this white-label article in your next email newsletter:
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It contains six important tips to help buyers make the most of their viewing opportunities. Win hearts and minds and future listings by sharing this with your database. I also recommend handing it out at open homes.
Every time we show buyers we want to help them make good decisions, rather than just sell them the house they visited, we grow our reputation, and create clients for life.
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Song of the week
Something a little more chill for a public holiday 🙂
Looking for music to play at your open homes? Or to lift productivity in your office? Check out the Agent Monday Official Spotify playlist.
Enjoy your day off and have an epic week! If you have questions or feedback, or a topic suggestion, simply reply to this email. I'd love to hear from you.
Andrew Duncan
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