Donald Duck courtesy of Flickr user SavannahGrandfather
Recharge Your Batteries
It’s been a long year already. This industry has been rough on us all. In the lovely Pacific Northwest, we’re gearing up to go into our 8 months of rain and gloom, so I don’t have much to look forward to in that respect. Watching the market do it’s thing has been depressing. Watching friends get laid off due to market conditions hasn’t been fun. I watched my old college football team’s highlights and I wanted to punch our mascot.
Your Customers Can Tell
I’m sure you’ve heard of the idea of forcing a smile when you’re on the phone because the person on the other end can tell. If this year has been rough on you (it’s okay to admit it) and your face is getting sore from forcing a smile (mine was), it may be time to get away from it all. I like to refer to this as “recharging my batteries”. My tolerance for the phone ringing, my patience level and my temper are all like a rechargeable battery (see how green I am?), over time, my energy gets drained and I need to be recharged.
Where is Your Happy Place?
For me, it’s all of the long camping trips over the summer with great friends. It reminds me that there is good in the world and that we all do make a difference in other peoples lives. I make time to take a few extra-long weekends throughout the rest of the year too just for mini-recharges.
Force Yourself to Get Away
On my last trip, a good friend who is a very successful Realtor commented about how nice it was to finally be in a location where the laptops and cell phones just didn’t work. She couldn’t work if she wanted to. She was forced to forget about these market conditions, the rougher lending conditions, all of it. We normally chat up a storm about real estate marketing and such, but we didn’t even mention it once because none of it mattered.
My Customers Could Tell
I held my first class since I came back on Wednesday and the people in the class could tell I was enjoying this and was ready to help again. We all work with people who have their own sets of problems. When we can’t downplay our frustrations any more, it comes out and can make a bad situation worse. They key is to realize you need a recharge and to find that place or those people who can make it happen, then just do it.
Have a perfect weekend.
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Consumerism, Geo-mapping columnist
Marketing columnist
Great post! It’s important to remember to take a step back from it all and relax doing whatever it is you find relaxing and fun. You’re right when you say that clients notice (as do family members and friends).
My friends and family often say to me “You take a lot of vacations!” I tell them “Try being a Realtor!”
Nick – I think it’s important to always keep in mind that you are not the only one with problems – we all have them and it’s a part of life. Recharging my batteries sometimes has to do with helping a colleague get out of the dump, helping out someone in need and even volunteering my time.
Because of your post, I have to make a confession – or least comment with one I twittered this morning. From Myers-Brigg; I am an ENTJ. I get my energy from interaction and group events, mainly from sharing and seeing agents be able to better themselves in classes. However, going to work as a full time consultant / educator has begun to take the “fun” out of teaching. The administrative functions and politics of the job have really started to drain me. The extensive hours this week have really drained me.
I am looking forward to taking a few day break in the future.
The market does suck, but if your head isn’t in the game – everyone will know and YOUR market will just get worse.
Wow, this really hits home. I just celebrated (?) 10 years in the business without any time off other than 4-5 hrs every so often to do work around my home. I work 7 days a week and haven’t taken any ‘get-away’ time in the 10 yrs. This summer has been busy, which is good, but I fear I’m beginning to burn out. I quit walking my dog, because neighbors would stop to talk about real estate. I took my trash out last night and spent 45 min answering my neighbor’s questions on real estate. I REALLY need a break away but don’t feel I can afford to slack off. I’m a good example of what NOT to do.
Nick; You know how people say that you get the love you give? Its completely true – point well made!
Matthew, your comment really hit home for me. When I was in college, I became a SCUBA instructor because I loved diving so much. Over time, I moved up to become an instructor instructor and had a very large program I ran. But then I got burnt out. I had taken my passion and turned it into a profession. Where I used to do 5-10 dives every weekend and 2-3 during the week, I now may do 5-10 dives per year. That’s always the tough part for me behind the concept of “do what you love”.
Getting away to San Diego for a week with limited e-mail service was a wonderful thing. And I came home to complete a stretch of putting seven homes in escrow in seven weeks. Not bad for … well, never mind.
Despite the odds, this has turned out to be my best year in closed sales (or at least is on pace to be.) And the key has been to stop pushing as hard … to stop working until 12:30 a.m. (except for tonight) because there’s not a house to be sold this late in the evening and instead focus on being as productive as possible during the hours people are looking.
It’s a minor way of recharging but it’s helped.