Real Estate Is A Marathon, Not A Sprint.

I decided to sleep in today.

We got about 10 inches of snow this weekend, and so it is a snow day for us here. With the kids out of school today I decided that I would set my alarm for an hour later, and even then when it went off I decided to turn it off and sleep for another hour. I suppose my body needed the extra rest today.

How often do you listen to what your body (or your heart or your mind) needs? We go, go, go and we push, push, push, when sometimes what we really need is just a little rest. A little break. A time out. A deep breath (or two, or ten). When you are in the thick of it (I’m talking to you, Spring real estate market) it is easy to believe the lie that you can’t take a break. There is too much to be done, there are too many opportunities to take advantage of, now is not the time. So you press on and on, well past the point of exhaustion until you burn totally out.

I’ve been guilty the last few years of going so hard and so fast the first half of the year, that it pretty well takes the majority of the second half of the year to fully recover. And then the cycle starts all over again. I’m no longer sure that is the best way to live.

What if we did something different instead? What if we rested when we were tired. What if we took breaks to refresh ourselves, Spring market or not?

I think we … and our businesses … will be better and stronger for it. Is it possible that we may lose a client if we aren’t available for them upon demand? Possibly. But if you set the expectation clearly and (here’s the key) confidently, and you have a contingency plan (an agent to refer to when needed, someone to help with showings) it WILL be okay. Your value is far greater than simply your availability.

Building a strong, thriving, consistent business for the long haul is a marathon, not a sprint. Stop treating it as such. Listen to what you need, what you really need, and respond to yourself with kindness and grace. You, and your business, will be better for it.