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Takeaways:
- Real estate is a people profession, and if you’re not happy, it’ll ruin your motivation and sour your deals.
- Being happy is a mindset you use to view your life.
- Here are the first 10 secrets to achieving happiness.
Happiness and real estate sales — what do these things have to do with each other? You might be wondering why we’re writing about happiness on Inman.
But if you’re an experienced agent, you already know the answer: Real estate is a people profession, and if you’re not happy, it’ll ruin your motivation and sour your deals.
Happiness matters on a personal level — it’s essential to a healthy lifestyle, and it’s also critical to your ability to adequately help buyers and sellers with their real estate transactions.
So, that being said, living a happy lifestyle is a crucial part of success in real estate, but that doesn’t mean you need to be happy every single moment, nor does it mean that happiness is always easy to come by.
What it does mean is that happiness is something you need to work at and strive toward every day. Being happy might come naturally on some days, and it might take real work to achieve on others. But keep it out there as a goal, an ideal and an aspiration in life.
Happiness isn’t just a reaction to life events. You need to realize that being happy is a mindset you use to view your life.
It is the glass being half-full rather than half-empty. It’s not a state of mind that you reach after you achieve all your goals, but rather, a state of mind you start with that carries you toward completing those objectives more easily and efficiently.
We just finished a series of shows discussing this topic on Real Estate Coaching Radio, and we’re proud to present all three episodes below for you to follow along with as you go through our list of the 25 secrets of happy people.
And you’ll learn how being happy transforms people’s professional lives and helps them to achieve greater career success and satisfaction.
25 Secrets For Happiness, Freedom and Success (Part 1)
25 Secrets For Happiness, Freedom and Success (Part 2)
25 Secrets For Happiness, Freedom and Success (Part 3)
1. Happy people find the good in any situation
They are glass-is-half-full types on purpose. Some are naturally this way, but most are consciously this way. In other words, they choose to be positive and methodically create happiness versus passively accepting what is happening to them in their lives.
Action: Observe how often you consciously or subconsciously “declare” something to be either good or bad. Replace it by saying, “It’s too soon to tell” — to get out of judgment and into possibility.
2. Happy people accept responsibility
They do not blame their emotional state on others. Happy people understand and embrace their power to create the desired outcome. As a result of taking on responsibility, they are more proactive.
Happy people also have specific goals. They base their daily, weekly and monthly actions on those goals. Unhappy people are generally goal-less. Thus, their actions are unfocused and sporadic.
Action: Review your goals. Create, revamp and replace goals you’ve already achieved. If you have no goals, begin by writing down what you don’t want in life and what you want to change. Invest in your future with the real estate treasure map.
3. Happy people attract other positive relationships and actively avoid negative ones
They are and attract battery chargers versus battery drainers.
Action: Make a list of people who make you happy and people who bring you down. Stop talking and hanging out with those who drain your mental and emotional battery.
Set coffee or brunch dates with people you are motivated by and excited to know. Hire a coach who will motivate you and hold you accountable to your goals.
4. Happy people rarely complain and are repulsed by chronic whiners
Complaining is like a magnifying glass over negative emotions — it only serves to make them worse.
Action: Make a commitment never to complain again. As soon as you hear yourself, ask yourself if you have the power to change what you’re complaining about. If you do, make the change. If you don’t, stop whining.
5. Happy people are not necessarily more talented or naturally skilled than everyone else
They simply find ways to maximize what they are good at and fill in the gaps with targeted education and skill-building.
Action: What skills do you need to pursue so you can achieve a higher level of happiness? What can you do more of that you’re already great at?
6. Happy people have a low expression of ego
They admit mistakes, and they apologize when appropriate. They know the difference between confidence and arrogance.
Action: Observe how many times during your average day you have some expression of having to be right or summarily rejecting responsibility. Make the commitment to apologize sincerely when appropriate.
Here’s a secret. A sincere apology has four elements:
- Admitting what you did wrong.
- Acknowledging that some pain or damage was caused.
- Stating you are responsible.
- Stating regret with a promise not to repeat, and ask for forgiveness.
7. Happy people make decisions quickly
Because they are OK with making mistakes and recalibrating, happy people move forward more quickly and don’t get stuck on decisions.
Action: What are you currently procrastinating on making a decision about? Make a deadline to decide. Ask questions to help make the decision. Then, decide and move forward.
Here’s a secret: When making tough decisions, act as if you’ve decided one way, and see how you feel about it. Then change the decision, and see how you feel if you did the opposite.
It’s helpful to remind yourself that if it turns out to be the wrong decision, you can always recalibrate.
8. Happy people have clearly defined standards in their personal and business lives
Happy people are clear about what they want and don’t want.
Action: If your coach were to ask you what the three most important things you’re working on right now are, could you answer immediately, succinctly and with specifics?
9. Happy people do have negative emotions
They feel fear, uncertainty, confusion and frustration, but they don’t allow those feelings and thoughts to control them. They identify the feelings and take action to reach a resolution — moving toward a positive change.
Action: Observe your reaction when you feel a negative way or have negative thoughts. Do you replace those thoughts and feelings with action, or do you get stuck?
10. Happy people are ambitious
They detest the autopilot mode and strive to be in the pilot’s seat, even if that means flying into unknown territory. Passive behavior leads to reactive and victim types of emotions.
Active behavior leads to happiness. The simple act of taking control just by itself puts you in a better place emotionally and mentally.
Action: What are you avoiding right now that persists? What are you feeling like a victim about, or where are you feeling a loss of control? Write three things to take action on, so you are in the pilot’s seat and not in the back of the plane with the toilets.
Stay tuned for “25 secrets for happiness in real estate: Part 2” tomorrow.
Tim and Julie Harris have over 20 years’ experience in real estate. Learn more about their real estate coaching and training programs at timandjulieharris.com, or tune in to Real Estate Coaching Radio every weekday at realestatecoachingradio.com.
