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It happens to all of us: Burnout. How you handle it will determine what you can achieve during the busiest months of the year.
The months of August through December are big months in real estate. A lot will be happening with all the holidays, and Daylight Savings Time means more evening appointments. All of this creates additional demands on your time and energy, so having a few recovery routines in place will make a big difference in your ability to make the most of these opportunities. Especially if you are already feeling tired and irritable, you need to change the way you are working.
First and probably most important is your diet. What you eat and when you eat directly affects your energy, ability to focus, and health in general. Food is fuel, and you must refuel at regular intervals or you will stall out. Skipping breakfast and having late lunches, and later evening meals, are hard on your body. Bad eating patterns alone will wear you out. You want to eat every 4 to 6 hours, or even have 5 smaller meals a day, to keep your energy high. Drinking plenty of water is also necessary to keep you feeling fresh and clear, and presenting yourself to clients at your best.
Exercise is also a vital part of your defence against burnout as it is the very best stress relief, and stress is a major contributor to burnout. If you aren’t already training then a personal trainer could be very helpful to get you going and keep you committed. Whether you go to the gym, or go running, cycling or swimming, keep active on a regular weekly schedule.
You must get enough sleep every night, too. Commit to an appropriate bedtime, get plenty of sleep for renewal, and you will be far more productive and powerful during the day.
All of these physical maintenance elements will give you greatly improved mental focus. Keeping a daily task list will direct that focus into efficient productivity. It will also help your assistants manage workflow, stay on track, and properly execute whatever tasks you delegate to them.
Working in 45-minute segments is another way to stay sharp and focused while you are working. You will get more done in less time by taking a break every 45 minutes. Use a timer if you need to, but give your mind a rest and maintain clarity.
Good emotional energy is another factor you cannot overlook. This is generated by keeping great people with positive energy around you. Maintain healthy supportive relationships and avoid negative distractions. Listening to carefully chosen music can be highly motivational or deeply relaxing, depending on what you need it to do for you.
Finally, always keeping your goals and achievements fresh in your mind offers a tremendous boost to your energy and vitality. One of the easiest and best ways to do this is to keep notes in your mobile phone. Maintain a list of goals and a list of achievements, update them regularly and look at them daily. These notes are a ready source of inspiration whenever you need a boost for your confidence or sense of purpose. Setting a short-term goal every few months and achieving it is a great way to boost your sense of personal accomplishment, too.
If you want to stay consistent and avoid burnout during these high-productivity months ahead, then make sure you have all of these areas covered. Diet, hydration, exercise, sleep, mental focus and emotional energy, and keeping your goals and achievements always fresh and current—all these factors work together to keep your energy high. It’s your energy, after all, that really sells.
I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Coaching Tip, and I look forward to seeing you here again next week.