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Let’s face it: being a Realtor is hard work. You spend countless hours – including nights and weekends – showing homes, writing contracts, attending closings, and marketing to potential clients. It’s a 24/7 job, and it can take a toll on your personal life.
Keep yourself from getting overwhelmed and overworked by finding an appropriate work/life balance in the midst of the chaos. After all, success isn’t gratifying if you don’t have time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Here are a few ways you can carve out time for yourself.
Get Organized
Disorganization breeds anxiety. The first step to a more balanced life is to organize and prioritize. Invest in a planner or desk calendar so you can visualize how you’re spending your days. Then, create a to-do list, set goals, and schedule non-work activities.
“Keeping your goals front and center allows you to weave through the chaos. It’s an introspective process that helps you hack at extraneous details. It can reveal what is important, what is a waste of time, and what you should do about it all,” -Neil Patel, a successful entrepreneur and data analyst.
Set Boundaries (and stick to them)
Communicate your work hours clearly to your business partners, staff, and clients. Feature your hours prominently on your website and business cards, and don’t deviate from them. Set your cell phone to silent during your off hours and put it out of view. Even the National Association of Realtors recognizes the importance of setting limits.
Practice Mindfulness
Are you exhausted and overwhelmed? It might be time to beat burnout with some mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness can reconnect you with what’s important in your business and your life. In her book ACT on your Business: Braving the storms of entrepreneurship and creating success through meaning, mindset, and mindfulness, business coach and licensed therapist Lee Chaix McDonough writes:
“As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to get caught up with (and overwhelmed by) the ‘must-do’ items on your list. That sense of pressure and obligation can be a real joy killer, which can lead to fatigue and burnout. By connecting even the most minor task to your business values, then you’re more likely to enjoy your work, and less likely to experience burnout and boredom.”
Learn more about mindfulness and its benefits here.
Take a Break
Americans take fewer vacation days than any other industrialized nation. That’s not something to brag about:
“People who take vacations have lower stress, less risk of heart disease, a better outlook on life, and more motivation to achieve goals.” –Dr. Shannon Torberg, licensed psychologist.
In short, vacations are vital to our physical and mental health. Schedule a vacation and let your clients know well ahead of time that you’ll be gone and unavailable. Then, turn off your phone and laptop, and disconnect from your business. You’ll be a happier, more efficient real estate agent after some time away.
Be Grateful
A study published on the wellness website Happify Daily found that happiness immediately increased by 10% after just one act of purposeful gratitude. Those who regularly practiced gratitude saw a 35% reduction in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Practicing gratitude can be as simple as keeping a gratitude journal and adding to it daily or sending thank you cards to important people in your life.
Rediscover Your Hobbies
Think back – way back – to life before your 24/7 real estate business. What did you enjoy doing? Who did you spend time with? Perhaps it’s time to take up your favorite hobby again, or to pursue something new. The American Psychological Association published a study that revealed how creativity, hobbies, and passions change an employee’s performance at work. When your brain is stimulated by something intriguing, enjoyable, and creative, that ingenuity and passion carry over to your professional life. So, not only will a hobby decrease stress and make every day more enjoyable, but it will also have a positive impact on your work.
Hire Help
Many entrepreneurs find the daily grind of business ownership exhausting. When the daily tasks of running your business begin to interfere with your home life, it’s time to consider hiring outside help. By delegating administrative tasks, you’ll find more time in your schedule to work with clients and (more importantly) to spend quality time with family and friends.
If you are at your breaking point, wondering if it’s possible to juggle it all successfully, don’t despair! With a little effort and discipline, you can have both a rewarding career and a satisfying personal life.
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