I posted this on the Lab Coat Agents Facebook Group Community page recently.
It is specific to real estate agents, but change the keywords and it can apply to practically anything.
My goal in this post is to challenge people to show up more and build habits to succeed at a higher level. The purpose is to train your mind, body, and everything around you to respond when you don’t want to. It is kind of like working out—showing up even when you don’t want to help you build the habit until working out becomes second nature to you.
One of our agents brought up a great point in the comments.
What she said is very, very true. First off, I am not saying “don’t take time for yourself.” One of the biggest things we deal with as entrepreneurs and business owners is burnout.
My point, though, is that we need to start showing up more often, because a lot of the time, the challenges most of us are facing right now in our business can be solved by changing our mindset about showing up to work. When we shift the way we think, our actions follow.
It is easy to see a post challenging us to show up more and blame it on "burnout," which is why we can’t do it. But burnout is a lot deeper than this.
It reminds me of what Mike Evans, the guy who created GrubHub, told me in our interview. He said that the one thing we don’t talk about when it comes to business is quitting. Maybe this, whatever business you’re in, is something you need to quit.
Let’s do a quick reality check. When it comes to any business, there will come a point in your life when you’re like, “Should I just quit?” And it’s okay to quit.
It’s okay to go outside and do something else if this doesn’t fit.
But, don’t match it with burnout. It is completely different. Burnout comes back to you. It isn't your fault that you don’t know how to structure your day so that you can prevent yourself from burning out. It is on you to set your boundaries and protect those boundaries.
When we talk about burnout, it looks like this: the thing that you used to love doing is no longer something you love or enjoy. It has you dreading going to work and showing up for that thing.
This isn’t about balance. You can’t always spend the same amount of time on all the things and responsibilities on your plate, whether that is work, family, or yourself. It is more about harmony.
The greatest musical pieces of all time—Bach, Mozart, etc.—the instruments don’t always play at the same time. Each movement, each piece comes in at its due time, and that is what makes a beautiful harmony. Our life resembles that more than “balance.”
Every day looks different. And different days or weeks call for different priorities. When you fail to prioritize and set boundaries for yourself to protect these priorities, that is when you burn out.
That is why, if you want to succeed in both your business and your personal life, you need to have some structure in place that can help you track what is important and keep you accountable for the priorities you set for yourself.
And if you are aiming for growth, you've got to make time and commitment to put in more effort and show up more often at a higher level.
You need to build your mindset and habits because your actions follow your beliefs.
A way to help hold you accountable for training your mindset is to ask yourself key questions to help you reflect and dig deeper.
I went over the evening routine last time (check out the video here.) This portion is below the acronym PREPARE, and you can download the document for the morning, evening, and weekend routines I prepared. There are some guide questions you can ask yourself at the end of the day, to help you reflect on how you lived your life today, and how you can do it better tomorrow.
It is important to ask the right questions. You ask yourself better questions, you lead a better life. Because questions prompt you to look inside and evaluate what the things that matter are, whether they are still serving you or if you need to make some changes. Questions help you understand yourself better, and keeping a journal of these things, whether on pen and paper or on a digital app, can help you keep yourself accountable.
What are the things that matter to you? Are the things you do every day, your actions, your words, and your habits leading you towards your goal? Or do you need to make changes in your actions to take you back in the right direction? Are your habits shaping you into the person you want to be?
But you need some structure, and you need to plan and prioritize. Because if you don’t know your priorities, you become so reactive (instead of taking command of your day). When we let ourselves react to every single thing, by the end of the day, we feel burnt out. You start to make excuses for yourself—that is how you start failing.
I want you to succeed. So, I am challenging you to ask yourself the right questions. Were you a great example today? How did you treat people? Were you aware of others’ emotions? What did you learn? What can you do better?
Shape your mindset towards growth and build habits that can help you get closer to your purpose. Set your priorities and show up at a high level for the things that matter. And lastly, protect your boundaries so that you can have sustainable success and prevent burnout.
Have an awesome day.
Thanks for reading A Brilliant Tribe.
