As we gear up for a long holiday weekend, it’s important to be purposeful with our actions and intentions. So many real estate professionals hit the doldrums in the weird space between Thanksgiving and the New Year. Not you, though. Not you. It’s true that 99% of the contracts you sign will close in the next calendar year, so treat the final weeks of 2024 like you would any other time of year: with purpose.
Conversely, there is no prize at the end of our lives for being the hardest workers. No merits or stickers or badges are granted to those who work like a dog for twelve hours a day, seven days a week. You know who I admire? The folks who have their businesses so streamlined that they can sufficiently carry their weight and hit their goals and still maintain a balanced schedule to focus on themselves and their families. The Hustle Culture needs to stop. So how do we split ourselves like Jean Claude between time working and time off?
FOR DECEMBER:
Take some time before the start of December to take a look at your calendar and decide exactly what days you intend to take off from lead generation and client service, and act accordingly. Seriously, do it. If you’re taking a day off, TAKE IT OFF. Make plans in advance to handle current business, set appropriate expectations with the people you work with and for, prep your Out of Office email responder, and find an accountability partner to remind you to set your phone to Do Not Disturb. Likewise, for the days you plan on working, WORK. This isn’t just a career or a business, it’s a J-O-B so treat it like one.
“But Linsey, I’m too busy to take time off.” That’s a great problem to have, and I’ll remind you that we aren’t doing open heart surgery. It’s a known fact that time away from your business will help clear the cobwebs from the subconscious and unlock specific blocks, creativities, and motivations that may have otherwise lain dormant had we plowed through without rest. Like our bodies, or brains also need space to stretch and chill. Haven’t we all experienced the best ideas on long drives, in the shower, or during a walk? Give yourself space for that kind of rest.
“But Linsey, I don’t have any business to serve so I don’t need to work as much in December.” That, my friend, is exactly why you SHOULD be grinding in December. When I say that it’s common for real estate professionals to coast through the end of the year, I’m not lying. Take advantage of that latency and score your share of the market.
FOR 2025:
Don’t forget to earmark your personal time and vacations before the first of the year because as we get busy, those personal commitments have a tendency to hit the back burner. Take advantage of your closest connections over the holidays to make plans and schedule your breaks.
Here’s something to think about:
While you’re sorting through your breaks, also consider working at least one weekend day every other week. If you typically work five days a week and you add one additional day every two weeks, that amounts to 26 more workdays in 2025, essentially another MONTH of productivity. What advantages might you have if you had an extra month in the year over the competition? This might sound like a joke to those of you currently grinding every single day without a break in sight. I know you’re capable of being just as productive working five days as seven, and imagine what your life might look like with the right systems, tools, and leverage in place so that working one day out of the weekend sounds like an elective rather than something unavoidable.
If you’re challenged with time management, I’m happy to brainstorm different ways you might make positive changes in your life and business so that things feel more manageable. Remember, you can absolutely crush it in business but if you’re falling down on your commitments to yourself and your loved ones, what’s the stinkin point? We only get one shot here, let’s do everything we can to do it right.
As always, it is an honor and a privilege to be in business with each and every one of you.
Onward,
Coach Lins
