What is burnout? In brief, it is a prolonged period with less energy, less enthusiasm and less motivation. You continuously feel exhausted both physically and emotionally. You are inexplicably impatient, moody, frustrated, angry, and frightened; and/or you feel increasingly hopeless, helpless, cynical, and resentful.  Procrastination and/or inactivity are common.

What causes burnout in Real Estate Agents? You lose your sense of purpose. You lose your sense of why you chose Real Estate and what you want your Real Estate career to do for you.

You feel that your environment is disorganized, chaotic, and full of pressure with many expectations from a variety of sources and little or no help; so you are on your own. You are not clear on how to succeed or whether you are succeeding. Your job requirements seem to be constantly changing and impossible to achieve. You are criticized, not recognized, and not rewarded for effort. You feel that you have little control over the results of your efforts. You have a stream of disappointments, particularly ones that are out of your control. You have or take little, if any down time.

For many Agents this describes the daily experience of their Real Estate career.  They frequently feel and fight burnout.

I am often asked how to deal with it and how to prevent it. It’s the worry not the work. First is important to understand that it is not the work that causes burnout.  It is the worry. It is not working seven days a week. It is worrying seven days a week. The following preventative measures reduce worry by giving you the mindset, structure, and energy to deal with burnout and permanently prevent it so that it is a thing of your past.

As you go through these preventative measures be careful. Take them on one at a time. Progress equals happiness. Do the first one for a week or more before you do the second. And so on. Set a low standard. Do just a little bit of each one to start and then keep doing more until it becomes a part of your normal business and life habits.

How do you prevent burnout in a Real Estate career? Personal: Start each day with a positive, relaxing ritual. Before you open your e-mail or make a call, even for a short time, walk, stretch, exercise, or just breathe deeply. Read something that inspires you; put it in your bathroom. Focus on the things you are grateful for. You can do this without leaving home.  tart with as little as five minutes.

Evaluate your diet, rest, and health habits. Eat three meals at mealtimes. Cut down on junk food, smoking, caffeine, alcohol, and recreational drugs. Keep yourself hydrated with water. Take walking and breathing breaks frequently during the day; when you do breathe deeply at least five times.  Get to bed earlier, if possible.

Business: Clearly identify and write down the answer to these two questions and read them every morning as you begin your work day. Carry them with you and read them frequently until they are second nature to you, part of your psyche.

What do I want my Real Estate Career to do for my life? Why is that important to me? Reduce those answers into the following number. In the next twelve months what is a realistic amount of income or production that would be a clear indication that you are on your way to achieving what you want? It probably will not get you there in one year.  Instead, it is a realistic number for the next twelve months that is a clear indication that you are making progress. (Progress equals happiness.) There is always a realistic number that is a clear indication. Your psyche may fight it. Fight back and choose that number.

Know your progress. (Progress equals happiness.) Reduce your twelve month goal to monthly goals, starting this month.  Be sure they are realistic.  To get past burnout it is far better to exceed than to fall short.

Choose a daily or weekly measure that is an honest indicator of your progress. Measuring initial appointments with new Clients per week is the best measure.

Record and review those measures daily at first, then weekly.

Create a simple set of daily habits that accomplish the basic necessities of your career.

Schedule just 30 minutes each day at the same time, on the same day, and in the same place for each habit.  E.g. Mondays at 9 a.m. prospect to make appointments; Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. Marketing; Wednesdays at 9 a.m. Service Contacts: etc.

Start with a minimum number you can handle. Take time off.  If necessary, start gradually. Start with a block of two, three or four hours doing something personal; sleeping, walking, reading, gardening, exercising.  It is best if this is not on your computer or on the phone unless you turn off call waiting, texting, or any other feature that will trigger the stress of work.

Find someone to check your voicemail to let you know if there is a priority and extend your time blocks until you are taking whole days off on a weekly basis.

Yes you can. Your burnout is no fun; for you, your Clients, your co-workers, and your loved ones.  These strategies can eliminate burnout.  You can have a successful business (and life) without burnout by implementing these strategies into your own business.

Rich Levin is a Real Estate coach and teacher whose focus is teaching Agents to understand and control their business. Through that understanding Agents achieve satisfying, successful careers and lives.   For more information on Rich’s work; go to www.BestCoachingOnEarth.com.   Rich is President of Rich Levin’s Success Corps Inc.  Contact him at 585-244-2700 or rich@richlevin.com.

Question: What could be more important than your business plan?

Answer: Your habits.

An Agent’s daily and weekly habits are more important than the quality of their business plan. Both, plan and habits are best. But of the two, habits rule.

Consider these two Agents. Which would you rather be?

Amy Agent has a great plan and lousy habits. She is really excited about her plan. But… her lack of habits means that she does not consistently take action. Her lead generation and follow up are mediocre. Her marketing is random. Her service and communication with her Clients is hit or miss. It is easy to imagine how these lousy habits limit Amy’s success and add to her frustration.

In contrast Annie Agent actually has no formal plan but she has great habits. She always feels like a better plan would help her. But… on the same days of the week, at the same times, in the same place, in the same way she consistently follows up her leads; sends direct mail, e-mail blasts, and blogs. She communicates with her Clients on schedule. It is easy to imagine how Annie’s habits feed her success, create personal satisfaction and a better quality of life.

Habits Work. Consistency Works. Consistency Wins. It’s universal.

Habits ensure success in every endeavor. The athlete and the team with the better habits win. The marriage with the better habits thrives.

It’s Not Time Management. It is Priority Management.

Time management seldom works. Priority management always works.

In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey wrote, “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

There are eight priorities that guarantee success in a Real Estate career. Scheduling them is remarkably easy. Developing the tiniest bit of discipline around them, one at a time, turns them into habits.

The Priorities of a Successful Real Estate Career Are:

Look at and Update Your Measurable Results Daily

Make Appointments with new Clients

Conduct Your Technology Marketing

Implement Your Traditional Marketing

Provide Quality Service to Your Listed Sellers and Pending Clients

Think and Strategize

Improve Your Presentations (as necessary)

Learn Inventory by Previewing Property (as necessary)

Presentations, handling pending transactions, showing, offers, negotiating, etc are also priorities but they are dependent on other people’s schedules. Therefore they are difficult to build as habits. Turning the above eight priorities into habits guarantee the presentations, showings, offers, etc that result in your success.

Four Critical Keys to Turning the Eight Priorities into Habits

Schedule the priorities, for 30 minutes (at the beginning); first thing in the morning as soon as you sit down at your desk. That’s not the real key. This is; complete the priorities for that day before you open your e-mail!

Schedule each priority on the same day of the week, at the same time, in the same place, and get started in the same way.

Start with one priority at a time. Once you experience the value of having one habit. You will be motivated to add the next.

Start with 30 minutes or less. This feels less burdensome. It motivates efficiency. And the fact is that you can accomplish a lot when you are really focused for 30 minutes on one priority.

In all of my workshops, on every topic, I teach Agents to create habits. I teach Agents to implement the topic of the workshop through better habits.

Let me be clear. Business planning is very important. In fact planning is a main focus of my coaching and teaching. But I know that your habits, not your plan, dictate your success. And it is your habits that will guarantee the implementation of your plan and the success of your business and your life.

Rich Levin speaks to Real Estate audiences coast to coast on raising Agent production.  He customizes a coaching plan and business strategy for each of his Clients. His planning tools are simple and extraordinarily effective. People immediately recognize his sincere desire and commitment to improve the business and the life of everyone he encounters. Contact Rich at 585-244-2700 rich@richlevin.com.