When the real estate market was booming, being a success was not the challenge it is today. It was almost easy. As in all things in life, it is not the good times that are a true indicator of either our character or our ability to succeed. It is the tough times that bring out our very best.
Those individuals who can somehow adapt to the changes that life throws at them; who can muster up the determination and fortitude necessary for difficult times; who can become creative forces in their lives versus reactive forces: these are the people who will survive and thrive no matter what the economic or personal conditions.
Things have changed dramatically in the last couple of years. Gone are the days of ever-rising property values and with it the concept of buying a house as an investment versus establishing a home. Gone are the days of sealed bids with selling prices way over the original asking price. Homeowners are beginning to let go of the arrogance of demanding inflated prices for their homes. Homebuyers are once again in the driver's seat. Reality has set in. For all the reasons we have all heard, the market is in a real slump. And so are most of the brokers and salespeople!
Think of the word: slump. Literal meanings: To decline suddenly and sharply in value; to sink or fall suddenly and heavily; to have a hunched drooping posture. We don't need to be reminded of the first two meanings as we are all in the midst of it! It is the hunched drooping posture that is so telling: depressed, lethargic, negative, unhappy are all words that come to mind. Although those words are understandable given the market condition, it is also true that being in any of those states will color not only how you see the world right now but will also create the world around you.
One's perspective or attitude affects everything we do. Norman Vincent Peale, the author of The Power of Positive Thinking said: Change your thoughts and you change your world. If you are mad at your kid it is hard to turn off the mad feeling at will. You just might become mad at whoever is in your line of fire. If work is really tough, life becomes tough. If life becomes tough, it bec56Comes a self-fulfilling prophecy: our attitude creates reality. It is clear that the right perspective or attitude will go a long way towards helping us be more effective.
How do you change your perspective? To start, identify what your present perspective is and then look at the costs and gifts of that perspective. What are you getting out of it? What is it costing you? Then try on some different outlooks. What attitude can you adopt? I know a real estate agent who has used the slump as an opportunity to become much more creative in her approach the market. She has taken on the creative attitude and creativity is always a highly positive, opportunistic, high-energy perspective.
I mentioned the term opportunity. What is the opportunity here; what is the deep learning? Perhaps this is an opportunity to really stretch yourself: to become more creative, more adventurous, more focused. Tough times can, with the right attitude, bring out the very best in us as we draw upon resources that we did not have to access before.
We can opt to do things differently. As Albert Einstein said: "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." Of course, we did not create the present market but his statement holds true in that we cannot solve the present situation if we are mired in the same5B4 thinking we utilized when the market was full-tilt. Times have changed and with that so must our thinking, out perspective and our resources.
It was also Einstein who said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If what you were doing isn't working anymore, try something different that is aligned with the present conditions. If something fails, look at it as a scientist would: this is not a mistake or a failure, just another thing that you can rule out on the road to success. Edison made some eight hundred attempts while looking for way to make the electric light bulb before he got it right. He never looked at those seven hundred and ninety-nine attempts as failures. Quite the contrary. They were simply landmarks he had to visit in order to get to the answer.
I can also guarantee that you won't come up with new and creative ways of doing business if you are totally stressed out and in a panic. If you find that your present state of mind isn't conducive to creativity, make certain that you allow yourself time everyday to get rid of anxiety. That might be five minutes of deep breathing where you concentrate on each breath. It might mean going for a run or a walk. Meditating. Yoga. A warm bath or Jacuzzi. Whatever works for you. Do it often, whenever needed.
Another thing you might want to consider or changing is your mode of thinking. Are you in an emotiona5B4l state of thinking or an analytical one? If you are in an emotional state of mind, trying taking a timeout and then put on your analytical hat. Approach the problem from a more logical and analytical viewpoint. If you have been analyzing a problem or challenge, try some thinking from the heart. For instance, if I were this client, how might I be feeling? How can I connect?
Get support. Brainstorming sessions work wonders. They bring new and different approaches to the issue. Gather your peers together. Try brainstorming with friends or family members or people you respect and admire. Get support when you are feeling low. Nobody ever said you had to go it alone.
Here is a visualization you can try and see if it helps: Visualize yourself in the future as a successful, prosperous and fulfilled person who has managed to get through this tough time (remember...This too shall pass!). See yourself as this person. Where are you living? Who surrounds you? What do you look like? Go into detail. Ask this future self: How did you get through it? What did you do to handle things differently? What was your mindset?
Or perhaps you could visualize yourself sitting down with a role model. Try having an imaginary conversation with say, Donald Trump. What advice would he give you?
When you were faced with other challenging situations in your life, what did you do right back then to get through and succeed? You h5B4ave handled innumerable challenges in your life. You have managed to weather these storms and even prosper. How did you do it?
As human beings, we have the gift of choice. We can consciously choose to be proactive forces in our lives versus reactive forces. We can decide to not allow life's circumstances to run us but rather we can take control of our lives. When we are in a reactive mode, we stay on the defensive. Life's circumstances are like trigger points, or our personal buttons that get pushed. Don't go there. If you are playing this game, be on the offensive line. Take matters into your own hands.
Acceptance of reality is mandatory. Accepting the fact that the market is what it is versus how we think it should or could or might be allows you to take the initiative needed to handle it Acceptance isn't surrender, it is acknowledgement if what is. That acknowledgement can free you and allow your energy to assist you in your quest to do things in a much productive manner.
Remember, life is always going to be throwing us curveballs: that's just the way it is. So it becomes apparent that it isn't so much what happens in life that is so important as how we handle what life throws our way. The more we learn to handle challenges and tough times, the more we build our creative muscles, our determination, our ability to persevere and come out the other end not only okay, but a better person. Facing challenges wit545h the correct attitude can mean great personal growth. Isn't that what life is all? about?
You can live a life that truly works and you can achieve peak performance in all areas of your life. You can not only survive life's unexpected changes and transitions but also thrive. Powerful change is possible. You are fully capable of creating a life that you choose.
Life Coaching is a proven, powerful, one-on-one professional relationship that promises to improve the quality of your life!
Learn how to create positive change in your life. Visit http://www.changecoachshelley.com and take your free customized Life Quiz and also Shelley's Blog at http://shelleyblog.changecoachshelley.com for more tools for personal growth and power. Contact Shelley Stile at shelleystile@changecoachshelley.com today!
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