Finding Satisfaction as a Real Estate Investor

When you’re starting a new career path, it can be tempting to focus only on your desired outcomes and feel dissatisfied with the work that you’ve already done. Many people quickly fall into the trap of constantly thinking about how to be better and do more, instead of maintaining an effective pace and valuing each step that you take. With real estate investing, I know that it can be so easy to think only about having an incredible portfolio and making a huge passive income, but that takes time and dedication. Here are some tips for enjoying the process and feeling satisfied and happy with your work.

Look back on your progress.

If you notice that you are feeling overly fixated on one specific outcome, or you feel frustrated because you feel like you aren’t doing enough, look back on where you started and consider how far you’ve come with each step you took. Everyone, in any industry, started at a point where they were a beginner. You’ve already come this far, and that’s something to be proud of.

Get constructive feedback from others.

I’ve previously discussed the importance of networking and finding a mentor. Having someone in your industry who you can discuss your work with is not only helpful for making big strides, but also for making the most out of your day-to-day work. If you are feeling less than thrilled with the work you’ve been doing, ask someone you trust for constructive feedback. Hearing both the good and the bad regarding the work you’ve been doing can help you increase both your satisfaction and your motivation.

Be open to new opportunities.

One of the reasons that we often feel dissatisfied with our work is because we have a specific path we want to follow, and we close ourselves off to new opportunities that might be a great fit because of this. In real estate investing, it took me a while to find my niche. You may have decided that you want to focus purely on commercial investing, for example, but by trying out residential investing too, you might find a project that leads to major career progress. Limiting yourself can lead you to focus more on the negative aspects of your work and less on the positives, which can result in you losing the passion that you started with.

Don’t prioritize the financial rewards.

Although we all ultimately work to support ourselves, if we focus too much on the monetary aspects of our job, it can be extremely difficult to feel happy with our work. Yes, you could always make more money, but ten or twenty years from now, you’ll remember the meaningful work that you did more than the money you made.

Finding happiness and satisfaction in real estate investing takes time, but once you do, you’ll find that you actually make progress more quickly, and you’ll feel happier in all aspects of your life. The most successful people in any industry have gotten there by finding a process that works for them.