Doesn’t a clean house affect your stress levels, capacity for creativity and general quality of life? Well, the same goes for your business. Keeping things clean can make an enormous impact on how you feel day-to-day, how productive you are and your overall happiness level. As the season shifts, now is the time to seize the opportunity to freshen up your real estate business with a bit of spring cleaning. Here are the five areas I recommend dusting off and shining up:
Your mindset
The way you run your business is a reflection of your mindset. So, take a moment to consider the state of your current mentality. Are you feeling discouraged and frustrated or are you feeling energized and positive?
If your mindset isn’t what you want it to be, intentionally shift it. Envision how you want to interact with your colleagues, how you want to treat your customers and what you want your internal dialogue with yourself to sound like. The next step is putting it into practice. Catch yourself when negative habits arise and replace them with positive thoughts, words and actions.
Your goals
What you had at the top of your goal list last spring may have shifted over the course of the year, so let’s reprioritize. What are the top three things you want to focus on this spring in your business? They can be micro-goals—small things that add up to make a big impact. It’s always helpful when your goals can be measurable, so consider how you can leverage the data you have available to track your success and ROI.
Your inbox
A messy inbox full of unread messages can really weigh down your workflow. Dedicate a day to cleaning it out (with coffee in hand!) Those messages that you keep marking as unread? It’s time to follow through with whatever action items are needed so you can get them off your plate. I always find that a clear inbox leads to a clear mind.
Your calendar
Your calendar says a lot about your business; it shows who you’re spending your time with, what projects you’re focusing on and how your personal and professional life are balanced out. Take a look at how you time-block your schedule. If certain activities or meetings aren’t serving you, it may be time to let them go.
As a real estate professional, you have a lot of autonomy over when you work, so, use that flexibility to your advantage! If you’re an early bird, front load your day with your most challenging tasks. If you hit your stride in the afternoon, shift your workload there. The same goes for you, night owls.
Your relationships
Who is currently inspiring you in your professional and self-development? Put them at the top of your list when it comes to social events, brainstorming sessions and phone calls. These are the people who build you up and support you in being the best version of yourself possible. Who is bringing you down, discouraging you or adding frustration to your life? It may be time to transition your energy away from these relationships.
Your time is everything, so spend it wisely. Additionally, consider your CRM. Are you keeping in touch with your former clients and leads? Have you updated your contact list and information? A CRM is an incredibly valuable tool that is even better leveraged if it’s up-to-date, thoughtful and tidy.
Having an accountability partner throughout each of these steps can help make the process fun and fruitful, so schedule a lunch with a friend or colleague to chat through these areas of your life and make a plan to move in a positive direction. Your clean slate is going to feel great and lead to a successful spring.
Rainy Hake Austin is president of The Agency.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of RealTrends’ editorial department and its owners.
To contact the author of this story:
Rainy Hake Austin at rainy@theagencyre.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Tracey Velt at tvelt@realtrends.com