You’re having one of those days where nothing seems to be going right — a deal cancels, the appraisal comes in low on that listing that must close in 12 days, you have a flat tire and at 7 p.m. you’re supposed to be at the top of your game for the most expensive listing appointment of your career.
What can you do to bounce back quickly and end this tough day on a winning note?
Everyone has days where nothing seems to go right. Rather than slinking back home to crawl under the covers with a quart of chocolate ice cream, here’s how to shake those feelings of being overwhelmed and bounce back into peak performance mode.
Entrain your brain
When problems come tumbling down on your head all at once, instead of becoming overwhelmed by the onslaught, take a few minutes to put your brain into peak performance mode.
Peak performance occurs when the brainwaves in both the right and the left hemispheres are in synchrony with each other.
On the other hand, when a variety of challenges occur all at once, you feel as if you have lost control. Your brainwaves are out of synch; you feel sluggish and coping becomes much more difficult.
What’s fascinating is that synchronizing your brainwaves is surprisingly simple.
Brain entrainment research has shown that the right combination of rhythmic beats and sounds will cause your brain to synchronize.
In other words, synchronizing your brain is as simple as listening to your favorite music that makes you want to snap your fingers and get up to dance.
If you are using a music app such as iHeartRadio or Pandora that serves up new songs based upon your past listening habits, about 80 percent to 90 percent of those songs will share the same underlying beat.
Tap into old anchors
For years I did the following exercise in my psychology classes to illustrate how feelings can become physically anchored in specific areas of your body. This anchor is so powerful that it allows most people to quickly shift their mood, even when they’re having one of those days when nothing seems to be going right.
Here’s what to do: look straight up at the ceiling, and then wave your hands in the air above your head as if you’re on your feet cheering for your favorite team. Be sure to keep looking up at the ceiling as you wave your hands.
Unless your mother was “Mommy Dearest,” this particular body position is a strong anchor for feeling cared for and happy. The reason is that when we were babies and we cried, we would reach up to our mothers, and they would pick us up to care for our needs.
By the same token, every time you raise your arms to cheer for your favorite team or dance with your arms above your head, you are reinforcing this powerful anchor from your infancy.
Play your favorite music at the same time, and you’ll be ready to tackle almost any problem you might face.
Regain control
Once your brain is in synch, pull together a game plan for dealing with each issue.
For example, while you’re waiting for roadside assistance to change your tire, contact your buyer to find out why he is canceling.
When you learn he is being involuntarily transferred to a new city, determine what his options are for cancellation and obtaining a refund of his deposit. If necessary, contact your manager or attorney to seek their advice.
Once you have identified the options, call your buyer back, outline the options you have discovered, and then ask which option will work best for him.
For the property with the appraisal problem, determine if there are any new comps that support a higher price.
You could also ask for a second appraisal, or if you’re going through a mortgage company, have them submit the loan to a different lender.
In each case, the underlying approach is identical: Write down the options that are available, evaluate each option and then select the option that will be most likely to produce a positive outcome.
Prior to the appointment
If the issues of the day are still churning prior to your listing appointment, put a pause on dealing with them no later than 5:30 p.m.
Put your written list of problems and options in the trunk of your car — they will still be there when you wrap up your listing appointment.
Be sure to have a nourishing dinner so that your blood sugar and energy will be optimal during your appointment. If you have time, take a quick shower and visualize the hot water washing away the stress of the day.
Also, be sure to leave early for your appointment in case anything else unexpected happens.
As you drive to the appointment, synchronize your brain again by listening to your favorite music. Visualize the sellers signing the listing at the right price and a full commission.
Create a new anchor
When you leave your appointment with the signed listing, tap your shoulder three times to anchor how good it feels when you succeed.
Repeat this process the next five times you win a listing, and you’ll have another anchor to add to your feel-good-on-demand arsenal.
Best of all — that list of challenges in your trunk won’t seem nearly as daunting as it was earlier in the day.
Bernice Ross, CEO of RealEstateCoach.com, is a national speaker, author and trainer with over 1,000 published articles and two best-selling real estate books. Learn about her training programs at www.RealEstateCoach.com/
