Thriving real estate brokers are always on the go and juggling multiple tasks; it can be difficult to develop and maintain healthy habits.
A balance between work and life is crucial to your success in this industry. That means you need to cultivate dedication to making good choices and working toward positive changes both personally and professionally.
Investing in yourself and your business is always worthwhile. Let’s dive into some science-based strategies and approaches that help you break away from unproductive patterns and establish more nourishing routines.
Elevate Your Systems
Reading self-help books or watching YouTube videos can certainly inspire you, but do you have the tenacity to follow through and achieve your dreams?
If you’ve already broken a New Year’s resolution, you may feel that you just don’t have the willpower to change your habits. However, willpower is not the issue. The most important thing is consistency.
A sustainable effort is vital to making a real difference. Author James Clear has written extensively about behavioral psychology, and he recommends “starting with a habit that is so easy you can’t say no.”
Making small improvements on a daily basis is what it’s all about. Even the tiniest move forward, when applied consistently, will eventually get you where you want to be – accumulating progress like compound interest. In his New York Times bestselling book, Atomic Habits, Clear lays out several core principles, the first of which is that readers should “focus on getting 1% better each day.”
The Baird & Warner Lincoln Park Book Club is currently diving into Atomic Habits and discussing Clear’s invaluable lessons for real estate industry pros at any stage in their career.
He also points out that it’s better to concentrate on your process rather than your goals. A main way to start is by identifying all of your current habits and then iterating your new intentions.
The author also encourages you to design a more salubrious environment, where the cues of healthy choices surround you and triggers of undesirable behaviors are removed. It’s also critical to motivate yourself — by utilizing “temptation bundling” and doing something you enjoy that’s tied to something necessary or difficult.
By removing exposure to bad habits, making them impossible to execute, and reframing your mindset to highlight the positive, you’ll be able to make meaningful changes.
“All big things come from small beginnings.” — James Clear
Find the Right Fuel
Busy real estate professionals can often fall into the trap of sacrificing self-care in order to stay “on” and generate more leads. This break-neck pace can lead to stress, anxiety, eating badly or forgetting to eat, and a lack of both rest and proper exercise.
Embracing a career in this industry should be about doing what you love, such as helping your clients buy the perfect home, building a strong network, showcasing your talents for communication and negotiation, and leveraging your strengths to make a profit.
Professionally, working closely with your mentor can help you build a solid foundation of executive time management, well-rounded routines, and the ideal balance between business development, client servicing, and disconnecting so you can ensure you’re at the top of your game.
These days, you have tons of tech tools at your fingertips to assist with staying on track and reaching your goals. Check out the top apps for healthy eating, drinking more water, prioritizing tasks, and nurturing customer relationships.
Creating enriching processes and committing to them is key to avoiding burnout and discovering your unique path to prosperity.
Practice Active Listening
Open and honest communication with clients, peers, and providers is essential to growing an authentic brand in this industry.
Buyers and sellers need to have a high level of trust and the unshakable belief that they can depend on you to act in their best interests. A powerful way to foster these feelings is by practicing active listening.
This is a cultivated skill that goes beyond just hearing someone’s words. It requires that you’re fully present in the conversation, encouraging them to respond completely, and making the other party feel truly heard and valued.
That’s why you need to pay attention to non-verbal cues and avoid all distractions when communicating with your clients and colleagues. Keeping eye contact, using open body language, and fully focusing on the person you’re talking with emphasize that you’re invested and that you value the conversation.
Patience is a significant element of listening and communicating effectively. Unfortunately, not everyone was gifted with this particular virtue, but there are steps you can take to gain a little more forbearance and poise.
Discover Your Potential
Becoming a highly sought-after real estate professional doesn’t happen overnight. It takes plenty of sweat equity, hard work, and perseverance.
But no matter how ambitious your business goals might be, you’ll benefit immensely from partnering with the best brokerage in Chicago, where we celebrate innovation and creativity and embrace the latest real estate technology. Our team also offers unparalleled training, coaching, and support, as well as a welcoming and community-minded company culture.
Transitioning to a career in this industry isn’t for everyone, but we’re here to help you find your niche, gain knowledge, and build confidence. Learn more about your promising future — reach out today!