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Takeaways:
- If you’re not happy, it’ll ruin your motivation and sour your deals.
- Happiness is something you need to work at and strive toward every day.
- Here are secrets 11-25 to achieving happiness.
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)
11. Happy people are not procrastinators
Here is the happy person’s affirmation: “I’m a doer. I do things now; I get things done.”
Action: Adopt that affirmation immediately.
12. Happy people are at peace with the accumulation effect
They are not addicted to instant gratification. Happy people are results-oriented; thus, they value effective and efficient results, even if it takes longer.
Action: What specific actions are you taking daily to achieve the goals you’ve set forward?
13. Happy people understand the Serenity Prayer
The Serenity Prayer goes like this: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Happy people don’t give much energy to things they cannot change but instead spend their efforts fully on those things they do have control over.
Action: What are you banging your head over things in which you have no control? What do you have control of but need to be more proactive about?
14. Happy people are not out of shape
They are not slobs. They take care of themselves physically because they understand the impact that physical health has on mental health, as well as emotional and financial health.
Action: Take a second and be honest. Are you at your perfect weight? What does your office look like? Your car? Your wardrobe? What needs to be upgraded? Who will hold you accountable for taking those steps?
Here’s the secret: Create a body-double image in your mind. Who do you want to look like, sound like and speak like? Choose an actor or actress, a historical figure or a leader you respect. Adapt and adopt their traits. It’s easier than recreating on your own.
15. Happy people have a mindset of giving before getting
They are not in conflict about being here to serve. Happy people become happier when they help someone else achieve versus unhappy people who feel something is taken away from them.
Action: Write five thank-you notes every day to shine the light on someone else. You’ll feel great doing it, and they’ll feel great getting a thoughtful card from you.
16. Happy people strive for balance
Happy people are not necessarily in perfect balance with the five areas of life (family, physical, financial, educational, spiritual), but they are actively striving for their specific goals in those areas. Health and happiness are being pursued actively, not passively.
Action: Get serious about your goal setting. Post your goals on your wall. Remember that goals must be measurable, specific, time-dependent and posted.
17. Happy people ask questions; they are always learning
They have coaches in multiple areas of life. They haven’t stagnated educationally, financially or emotionally.
Action: Who is holding you accountable to the things you claim are important to you? How much faster would you get there if you weren’t going it alone?
18. Happy people love to be in the middle two stages of mastery
The two phases of mastery are conscious incompetence and conscious competence. Happy people don’t allow themselves to feel that they know it all.
Action: Become familiar with the stages of mastery and know where you are on different skills required for you to reach your goals. What steps are necessary to move into the middle two most profitable stages?
19. Happy people are at peace with being spiritual beings in a materialistic world
They use things to improve their lifestyle, not to show off, but to create peace in their world and set an example to others of what they can do, be, see and have.
Action: If you say things like “I’m not in it for the money” or “I can’t afford that,” cure those thoughts with goal setting and skill improvement so you can instead have the life of your dreams.
Here’s the secret: The life of your dreams does cost money.
20. Happy people are versatile and flexible
They embrace change instead of hide from it. They have the ability to communicate with multiple types of people in different situations successfully and create positive outcomes.
Action: Take the DiSC personality test. Understand who you are, who your best relationships are and which types of people challenge you. Strive for versatility.
Here’s the secret: Versatile people are happier, make more money and feel less stress in life. People who lack versatility are more negative, more stressed and often broke.
21. Happy people insulate themselves from soaking up the emotions of others
They are compassionate, gracious and nurturing without being drawn into the problems of others. They know how to protect their emotional well-being.
Action: Develop affirmations to protect your emotional health, so you can still show compassion without getting into the mud.
22. Happy people understand that conflict can lead to positive outcomes
Conflict can lead to positive results and, therefore, shouldn’t be avoided at all costs. Instead, happy people understand the challenge, face it and work through it.
Action: Observe your reaction to conflict. Do you negotiate immediately or let things sit and fester? Do you meet challenges head-on or wait for something to force your hand? Decide to embrace conflict and learn from it, instead of avoiding it at all cost.
Here’s the secret: Avoiding conflict costs you money and expands your feelings of frustration. It squelches happiness.
23. Happy people are not quick to judge, belittle or insult
They know the power of positivity, so those actions are incongruent with the happy person’s standards.
Action: Decide today to get out of judgment and into curiosity.
24. Happy people seek out opportunities
They seek out opportunities to give back versus always looking for a handout. They have a mindset of abundance, not of scarcity.
Action: Remind yourself that the world is full of abundance. There is enough to go around. If you’re not living the life of your dreams, it simply means you haven’t found a way to help enough people yet.
25. Happy people have the ability to change channels
They have a quitting time for work, and a family-time and a fun-time channel. Time management is a way of life, not just a fleeting idea.
They are in control of what’s important and can switch from situation to situation with ease.
Action: Monitor your “time in the gray area.” The gray area is where stress lives. It’s when you are at work, wishing you’re on vacation or when you’re on vacation and checking your cellphone incessantly. Learn to change and turn off channels.
Every trait that happy people share centers on taking control, getting into action and accepting that it’s in your power to control your level of happiness. Take action now.
Read “25 secrets for happiness in real estate: Part 1.”
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.