Nobody would disagree that 2020 has been one for the books. Not only has COVID-19 impacted our industry, but parts of the United States have been tormented by wildfires, terrible storms and flooding… and then there’s the election and all of the civil unrest. It is extremely difficult to concentrate on lead generation and generating steady income when you may be personally impacted by any or all of these things. That being said, in order to be a successful real estate agent, you’ve got to find a way to put the drama on the sidelines… gratitude is an attitude—and mastering that attitude will get you closer to what you want to achieve this year and beyond.
5 Ways to Focus on Gratitude this Season
- Don’t nitpick. Gratitude doesn’t have to be saved for big things. The habit of being grateful starts with appreciating every good thing in life and recognizing that there is nothing too small for you to be thankful for. You can start by expressing appreciation for an on-time Amazon delivery or the opportunity to speak with an old friend or neighbor. Don’t take anything off the table when expressing or considering gratitude.
- Find gratitude in the yucky stuff. Sometimes this is hard, but you should try your best to find gratitude in your challenges. Working on an extremely tough transaction or working with an uncooperative or difficult agent, consider what these challenges say about you and what you will learn from them—and be grateful for that! Having trouble? Dig deep and consider how past negative experiences have benefited you today.
- Practice Mindfulness. Sit down daily and think through five to ten things you are grateful for. The trick is that you need to picture it in your mind and sit with that feeling of gratitude in your body. Doing this every day will rewire your brain to be naturally more grateful, and you’ll start feeling happier after every session. It should only take a few weeks for you to permanently change your mindset… but you need to put in the effort to do so!
- Make a Gratitude Jar. Everyday write down one thing you are grateful for, and drop it into the jar. It could be that you have a new client or have an accepted offer, or it could be that you made your bed today or that you actually left the house. It doesn’t matter how big or how spall, but put one bit of gratitude in your jar each day. Feeling down? Just go look through the notes in the jar and you will be surprised how motivating this will make you feel.
- Volunteer. For many people, the key to having more gratitude is to give back to others in their local community. Not only will it make you more grateful for the things that you may take for granted, but studies have shown that volunteering for the purpose of helping others increases our own well-being, and thus our ability to have more gratitude. Even donating to charities—if you can’t leave the house—may help you to have more gratitude.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, this year has definitely been a little different. I’m grateful that my friends and family remain healthy, and that everyone is employed despite the pandemic. I’m also grateful that my own business has multiple income streams—real estate, property management, short sale negotiations, transaction compliance, and the real estate daily planner. We seem to have cracked the code on surviving economic downturns. I’m also grateful that California is still busy in real estate sales, despite what I would have expected.
Wishing you all an excellent Thanksgiving. Here’s to better days ahead!
