Sometimes the frenetic rush to tie up business before the Christmas shutdown makes you wonder if it’s even worth taking a break. But that’s a fleeting thought; the benefits of tuning out and switching off will do more to put you in the right frame of mind for a successful 2017 than any number of motivational talks and courses.
In a nutshell a well-spent holiday will relieve stress, give your health a kick-along, boost your immunity and increase positivity. But here’s the rub. When the most essential working tool of a real estate agent, the smartphone, is constantly in the pocket or in hand, how can you ever hope to truly switch off?
And the reality for most agents is that while 2016 has delivered continuing record clearance rates and high prices, listings have been thin on the ground. So if you’ve got a healthy schedule to start 2017, you have that pressing on your mind. On the flip-side if next year’s listings are looking like a Scrooge Christmas table, it’s very tempting to keep on working those contacts and raising your profile.
Rather than advocate the obvious – to disconnect entirely from the internet and smartphone advice – a more achievable solution is to take back the power. Establish a schedule for checking and responding to emails once or twice a day and stick to it. It’s not exactly a technology detox but more about introducing a more mindful approach to the way you use it.
In the normal course of the working week, agents make themselves available virtually round the clock, seven days a week. A missed call is potentially a listing or sale. So the habit of constant phone checking is deeply ingrained and hard to break.
But once you take back control of your gadgets you’re in a better position to get something out of a holiday. First and foremost, you’ll find it easier to reconnect with the people around you who matter, the ones who get sidelined for work priorities throughout the year.
And a tip for those whose every moment is catalogued on Instagram and Snapchat. When you put the phone away you actually see more; the experience heightened by being recorded in your mind’s eye rather than pixels.
Most people find that taking time out allows the brain to declutter, leaving room to become more creative and innovative. Problems that seemed insurmountable in 2016 can feel less oppressive with a fresh perspective. And if inspiration for a 2017 business plan has proven elusive, set it aside until the new working year resumes. The ideas will flow faster and they’ll be better than anything produced this side of Christmas.