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ENGAGED WORKAHOLICS Tom Panos
Engaged workaholics
Whether you are an ‘integrator’ or a ‘segmenter’, Tom Panos urges all real estate workaholics to avoid burnout by developing a rhythm that is sustainable in the long term.
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AS I WRITE THIS, it is 9:04pm. It’s one of the last things I’m doing for the day.
At approximately 10:30pm, I’ll go to sleep listening to a spiritual podcast. My final thoughts will enter my normal nightly ritual which I repeat to myself: ‘God, this is your shift now. I’m going to sleep.’
At 5am I will be up, working though my normal morning ritual of a mindful prayer, coffee, gym/bay run, followed by coffee again, a to-do list and straight into work all day.
I’m probably best described as an Engaged Workaholic, who does not see the need for too much recovery because my daily rituals and routines set me free.
Why would you need recovery when you love what you do, you find meaning in your vocation, and you get invigorated and gain much enjoyment from your work? I mean, does anyone need recovery when they’re doing something pleasurable, like going to the movies or hanging out with friends for dinner?
Yet I clearly remember there was a time when I worked a job I disliked for 35 hours a week. I needed a whole weekend to recover from what I can best describe as a pinstriped prison. Today I work six days a week for up to 80 hours a week and, as long as I’m eating well, exercising, trying to get enough sleep, feeding my mind positive content and hanging around optimistic people, I don’t fall into the category of ‘needing work-life balance’.
Before I move on to giving you some practical advice, you need to establish whether you’re a ‘Work-Life Segmenter’ or a ‘Work-Life Integrator’.
I’m more than happy for my work to bleed into my life. I know there are many other people who need very clear boundaries; they need to walk into their home, turn their mobile off and change their work clothes before they even hug their children.
I’m perfectly happy being an Integrator, and so are many successful real estate agents I’ve interviewed.
Below are seven guidelines and practical tips that WorkLife Integrators still need to implement in their life to ensure they don’t burn out.
1. Learn to say no. Saying no buys you more time in your life. 2. No emails from 10pm to 6am. Email management at this time is disruptive to sleep. spiritual or watching something funny. (I know scientists say you’re not supposed to look at screens before bedtime, but I think laughter more than compensates for this.) 4. Have your phone on silent when you’re in the flow zone; for example, during your prospecting time. Don’t give the power to the caller. 5. Work from home. There is enough research to suggest
3. Develop morning and evening rituals. For example, morning: gratitude time, exercise and 10 calls before 10am. Night: three things you were grateful for that happened today, or a calming activity such as meditation, prayer, reading something around 20 per cent more productivity. 6. Set routine habits around schedules – a structured week, but not an ideal week that is set up like a prison. 7. Have ongoing interactions with similar like-minded agents – for
22 ELITE AGENT • JUN – JUL 2018 example, the Real Estate Gym community.
Finally, let me just say that without a doubt the most critical thing for a real estate agent to have a long-term, sustainable life, where they’re passionate about their work, is to focus on a method and style of work that is sustainable.
The best agents I know have focused on ‘job crafting’. They designed how and what they do in their job and use a system or have assistants to do elements of the job that they don’t like or are not good at.
Burnout and having a constant need of life balance comes when a real estate agent uses prospecting methods that they dislike doing, and have no support in low dollar-productive activities that are also draining.
When you work a job you despise, it’s called stress. When you work a job you love, it’s called passion. •
Productivity = Performance
Caroline Bolderston explains how making a few basic changes to the way you work will help you get the most out of every day.
‘PRODUCTIVITY’ is a bit of a buzzword, not just in the real estate industry but across all sectors – corporate, government, sports... But what does it really mean? What does improving your productivity do for you and your business?
Productivity is about getting the most from the daily, weekly and monthly activities that are the drivers of your current and future income. It’s well known that, in real estate sales, prospecting or relationshipbuilding is the key driver, the core of your business.
So if your productivity levels are low in this area, what steps can you take to improve them?
Focus. Understand that what you focus on is a choice. In life, what we focus on expands, often to the exclusion of everything else! Choosing what to focus on is where the magic lies. The two criteria to apply to your decisionmaking on focus are things that matter and things you can control; where they overlap, that’s where your focus must be applied. Not haphazard focus, not some weeks on, some weeks off; but dedicated, razor-sharp, pinpoint focus and planning. It’s your choice.
Time management. Time is the great equaliser, the common denominator of us all. The number one thing I hear from agents is that they don’t have enough time. This is really saying
they are not managing their time. The ability to successfully manage time includes having strategies that create space for your focus activities. There are three key areas to master: selfmanagement, environment and structure.
You must draw awareness and understanding of how your emotions, beliefs and core values are either holding you back or propelling you forward. Your internal and external environment has a massive impact on whether you protect your time or give it away. The boundaries and rules that you put in place will either support or hinder your success, and keeping your mind and your business ordered and clear will enable you to manage more and achieve more. Measurability. To know whether you are improving your productivity, you need to measure your actions and activities. The majority of agents still don’t know the formula behind their numbers and the impact each one has. Do you know how many conversations you have a day, a week, a month? How many conversations you need to have before you book an appraisal? How many market appraisals you do before you get a listing opportunity?
You must know these numbers and measure against them on a weekly basis to see whether you are improving or you need to change.
Benchmarking. Tracking your numbers delivers reliable benchmarks. As you continue to track your numbers you will know, in more specific detail, how you are going on a weekly basis against industry or personal benchmarks.
Do you need to dedicate more time to your prospecting, to your skill development? Have you met your benchmarks for the week? Are you blitzing those benchmarks, and have they now become your base level? Information provides the power to make better decisions which will improve your productivity.
Accountability. Once you have mastered focus, improved your time management and know your benchmarks, the final step is embracing accountability. Consistency is king; it breeds growth and expertise, so being accountable and on track for your plan will ultimately drive your productivity.
It can be incredibly challenging to do this alone, so the solution is to find an ‘Accounta-bila-buddy’! This can be your principal, sales manager, colleague, coach, family member, mentor or a target within a structured accountability program. The winning ingredient is that it is a formal and structured arrangement, so there is visibility to yourself and others on your actions and results.
What you need is a framework for support that keeps you motivated, inspired and true to the reality of your progress. This is not just a feel-good arrangement, but one where you want to face your weaknesses, recognise your strengths and stay in the productivity zone. •
Caroline Bolderston runs a productivity and accountability program, BOLD 90, which supports agents to break through their prospecting resistance and massively increase productivity and results. Check out beingbold. com.au/bold90 and don’t miss the free eBook on Time Management!
