Exhausted

I was having a conversation with one of the agents that I coach. She and the team she leads were recognized as one of the top teams from last year at our company awards event and they are off to an absolutely blistering pace to kick off the new year. After some kudos and congratulations were delivered, I asked the agent how she felt about their momentum heading into the Spring market.

“I am exhausted.”

There was a long pause before she quickly added that she’s going to get over that feeling and remain focused on doing more. It was almost as if she felt like she needed to apologize for being exhausted. This agent isn’t alone. She was just vulnerable enough for a split second to admit that she’s tired.

Many of the agents I coach with or talk to in casual peer conversations are working their butts off in the fast-paced, challenging market we find ourselves in. Amongst those challenges, there still are lots of amazing opportunities…and no one wants to miss any opportunities.

Many successful salespeople love to fully immerse themselves in their business. They wake up and feed off being engaged in their communities, turning customers into clients, and taking contracts to the closing table. You gotta make hay while the sun shines, right?

They go from appointment to appointment during the day and event to event in the evening. Guzzle a coffee on the way to the office, throw down a quick meal in the drive-thru (if you’re lucky), and hope that your cell phone holds its charge through the day. There are some days where a busy Realtor will get home and ask themselves, “Did I even stop to pee one time today?“

If they’re lucky they might get a chance to see their spouse and children at some point before grabbing the next phone call, replying to a text message, sending one more counteroffer, or preparing for the next client interview only to wearily crash for the evening before the next day’s alarm. It’s kind of worrisome that some people these days are finding their motivational encouragement from the side of a shampoo bottle; Lather, rinse, repeat.

We Need to Slow Down to Speed Up

You can probably hear the flight attendant’s message from your last flight ringing in your ear. “If traveling with others, put your own oxygen mask on first.” It’s great advice because if we really want to be there to help others, we need to take care of ourselves first.

Making time for solitude, prayer, meditation or exercise isn’t always easy but once you find it, you realize how priceless it can be. Taking a few hours off each week might be all the recharge you need. Getting enough sleep is obviously important and now that the days are getting longer, it means there is more time to squeeze in one more showing, one more inspection, one more client meeting. It also means you might have one more ball game to attend, one more school recital, and one more volunteer event. It shouldn’t surprise any of that the day after Daylight Savings Time is National Napping Day

Maybe now is the time to make sure we have systems and checklists in place. The pace of the market right now is moving too quickly to have to backtrack and cover mistakes or missed opportunities because we just weren’t focused enough.

“If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”

John Wooden

Fuel Up

Ask yourself this question; “What fuels me?” or “Who fuels me?” Is it a book, song, podcast, or movie that always seems to fill up your soul tank? Maybe a morning run? Do you enjoy an extra-large cup of coffee while snuggling with your kids or dog? Who do you need to hang around with that is sure to get your energy high. The right amount and type of fuel will allow you to step on the accelerator and get to the place you want to be and when that happens, you leave the exhaustion behind you.

Take a few extra moments this week to just “be in the moment.” Catch a few deep breaths every now and then. Turn off the technology for a while. Check-in with your team and co-workers and ask them how they’re doing. If their answer is an exasperated “I’m busy,” tell them you know how they feel. Then encourage them to keep building relationships, solving problems, and having fun. You can even help them with their oxygen mask now that you know how to put yours on.