Struggling and Goal Setting Part 1

A little over a year ago I was a freshly licensed Realtor.  Like so many new agents, I started out excited, clueless,  and ready to take the real estate world by storm.  I had a pretty strong start and then life started getting in the way.  I'll be honest - I am struggling.  I have been for a while.  To excel as an agent, you have to work All. The. Time.  This wasn't a problem until I got a call from my mom last summer.  My grandmother had brain cancer.  With chemo and radiation, she had maybe a year to live.  Whoa.  I had to take a step back and look at my life and I didn't like what I saw.  My mother-in-law was practically raising my kids.  They were with her more than they were with me.  My mom would need help with my grandmother.  I couldn't abandon them in pursuit of a career.  How selfish would that be?  Suddenly, I was in crisis.  I'm not saying this to elicit pity from anyone.  S--- happens.  We have responsibilities to those we love.   We struggle with balancing family and work. (If anyone figures that out, let me know!)  Sometimes we let everything get to us and have to decide what we're going to do next.  We're all human.  We're all just trying to make it.

Everything started getting to me.  I was spiraling into a black hole and questioning if I'd made a huge mistake by getting into real estate.  I was letting everything get to me and practically looking for things to get upset over.  I am still dealing with some of these issues, but I'm slowly changing how I react to them. 

Problem: Other agents and their bad attitudes

New Reaction:  I'm trying to stop letting other agent's attitudes bother me.  Maybe they're having a bad day.  Maybe they don't want to work with a new(ish) agent.  Or maybe they just suck at being human.  Whatever it is, it's not a reflection on me.  It's not worth my time or mental bandwidth to feel bad because of them. 

Problem: I dread cold calls

New Reaction: I'm trying not to project on people before they even answer the phone.  Are a lot of them going to hate that I called?  Absolutely.  Those calls will end quickly and I can move on.  They don't hate me.  They don't even know me.  They'll forget I called within a day or two.  But some of them will be glad to hear from me.  They'll be in the right frame of mind and need my help.  They'll get to know me and they'll (probably) like me.  

Problem: My broker isn't a big communicator

New Reaction: Sure, my broker can be hard to get in touch with sometimes and as a newer agent, that sucks.  But, he's starting a new business.  He's got his own life to deal with.  He has completely different priorities than I do.  I can get pissed, or I can find a mentor that aligns with my values, making me more successful and my broker happier with my performance.   

So where am I now?  My situation hasn't changed much.  My grandmother has stopped chemo and is requiring more care than ever.  I still don't have as much time with my kids as I'd like, and I have no closings coming up.  Am I giving up on life?  No way!  I'm working on realistic goals and trying to move forward.  While I wish things were different right now, I have to trust that I'm where I'm at is where I need to be. (Can you tell I've started meditating?)  I'm going to finish my list of goals and post them in Part 2 tomorrow.