How to Accentuate the Positive in Your Real Estate Career

Achieving what you dream of in real estate takes more than believing you can do it.

But if you believe you can't do it, you might well never reach your goals.

No matter what your background, your unique perspective can help you succeed in real estate. And given the diversity of interactions and skills you'll need to practice, it's not unusual to find some aspects of real estate fit you better than others.

Of course, you want to build your skills and address your weak points over time. It's also important to remember that few people achieve rock star status overnight.

That means being ready for plenty of learning experiences and relatively few "mastery" experiences. Understanding that can be intimidating, especially when it seems like you are doing all that learning in the public eye, in the highly visible position of marketing yourself as a local real estate expert.

When it seems like too much to handle, that's when it's time to look at what you're telling yourself:

• "Maybe I'm not cut out to be a real estate agent."
• "If I try this approach, I'll just embarrass myself."
• "I don't know how I'm going to close this deal."

Negative thoughts like these will change your center of gravity. Instead of looking for all the useful and effective things you can do out in your world, they will run you in circles. And while hyping yourself up with positivity you don't believe generally won't help, neither will dwelling on these thoughts.

They have nothing new to tell you – and they won't help move you forward, either. At the end of a year, real estate agents need to be particularly alert to what narrative their thoughts are spinning. If you had goals for the last 12 months that didn't pan out the way you wished, you could get knocked off track by that thought – or recognize that January 1 is a new day and keep pursuing them.

The key is getting out of your own head. Let's explore how to do it.

Motivation Means Focusing on What You Want, Not What You Don't Want

Each of us only has so much time, energy, and focus in a day.

Negative thoughts are tiring and disempowering. But what, exactly, do you replace them with?

In effect, you need to focus your attention on what you want. This can take some imagination. The key skill of staying motivated is to direct your thoughts from what you don't want to what you do any time you find yourself worrying, complaining, or criticizing your own performance.

That can be tricky, and it takes practice. So, set up your environment to be conducive to it.

Here are some ways to do that:

Make Plenty of Time for Yourself to Recharge

The first year of a real estate agent's career can be hectic, and it's not unusual to lose sight of what a healthy set of work hours looks like. As time goes on, you define repeatable processes and win back time using technology. But you can – and should – start that process at any moment. Set boundaries so you aren't answering client questions at 2 a.m., and be sure you are getting full weekends off!

Foster Human Connections Every Week

Scheduling real face-time is getting harder, both in business and among the people you care about. If you're working from home, it's extra important to make sure you aren't isolated. Networking groups can be a big help here, especially if the members share a compatible vision. If you're at the right stage, also consider how you might delegate more tasks by bringing on a virtual assistant or another staff member.

Understand What Keeps You Inspired

"Inspiration" can seem like something that's hard to gauge or define, but it can be simple. It's a positive emotional experience that makes you feel the power and potential of your ideas. You don't have to wait for inspiration to strike on its own: You can think about what inspires you and get a burst of energy by listening to podcasts, watching videos, or partaking in any other content that aligns with those desires.

Define Your Deeper Mission

Many of the most successful and long-lasting businesses are defined by a mission with values that go beyond making money. This works especially well for real estate professionals. In everything you do, you are helping someone reach one of their biggest goals in life. So give yourself credit for all the ways you make a positive difference in the lives of others, and it will help you get through the tough days.

Three Big Excuses You Can Get Rid of Right Now to Achieve More in Your Business

Sometimes, getting stuck in your own head comes from certain habits of thought.

These habits arise from preconceptions about how much you need to know and what you need to do to be a valuable partner to your customers. They are particularly challenging for perfectionists. Even the best real estate expert doesn't know everything, and everyone makes mistakes.

"What if?" thoughts are especially burdensome. They always represent a place where your knowledge is necessarily imperfect. There's really no way to answer a "what if?" in advance, and trying to is a waste of energy – you have to get out there and work through it as it happens. Those are learning moments.

Here are some examples of excuses you can drop in order to do more:

• "What if I don't know the answers to customers' questions?"
  One of the biggest pieces of the puzzle when it comes to a real estate agent's brand is their knowledge of the local area and communities. But no matter how hard you work, you will still get questions you don't know the answer to – including those you never thought of before. Learn to take those in stride, get the information, and follow up promptly. Everyone does it, even the biggest successes out there.

• "That [method, software, whatever] won't work for my people."
  Many new real estate agents shy away from things like email marketing, social media, and even basics like following up because they believe the people they know are (or aren't) a certain way. But all of these techniques have been used effectively by thousands of real estate agents. They exist because, on average, they do work. Trust in the process, and you will find yourself moving forward. It's that simple.

• "I don't want to put myself out there like that."
  Unfortunately, Google and antiquated rules about what constitutes "public information" have already put just about everything there is to know a few clicks away – address, age, and much more. If this feels like a nightmare to you, you're not alone. But you still have plenty of control over what you post on social media. If you don't want to share what you had for breakfast, you don't have to.

The good thing about being in your head is that you can get out whenever you wish. After all, you can only do one thing at a time, and that includes thinking. Commit to focusing your attention where you want it to be. That will influence your day-to-day, then your strategy, and ultimately your career.

Get a positive start on your goals with a free 30-day trial of DeltaNET 6.

To view the original article, visit the Delta Media Group blog.