The most prominent struggle workers from different industries are facing today is finding a balance between their work and their personal time. Often, we fancy success so much that work comes before everything else. However, this craving to be one of the best in your profession has drawbacks on a personal level. We frequently find ourselves burnt-out, struggling with our emotional and mental wellbeing along with our personal relationships. The struggle is common among workers in all fields, yet real estate agents suffer the most with their pressure to close deals within a tight time frame.
The reason real estate agents struggle with balancing their personal and professional lives is that they work with clients who reach out to them after the standard working hours. Clients themselves have 9-5 jobs, and thus don’t find time to connect to their real estate agents except on the weekends and holidays or at a late time during working days. The real estate industry requires a lot of networking and completing tasks in a tight, time-bound environment. Thus, finding a balance between personal and professional life is crucial to maintaining a healthy life and being productive and efficient at work.
The “flexible” work schedule which real estate agents have doesn’t fall in their favor. There are many steps realtors can take which will help them find work-life balance.
1. Identify Your Priorities:
Identifying your priorities helps you manage your time better. It’s important that you set a to-do list for the things you need to finish according to their importance and urgency and implement time-management strategies. As you reflect on what’s important for you, don’t forget to consider your work and home priorities. Your health (physical, emotional, and mental) should be at the top of your list, and all your priorities should be set taking into consideration your overall well-being. After all, your health has a direct effect on your work outcomes.
2. Establish a Routine:
After you identify your priorities, it’s important to establish a routine. Your daily routine will help you organize the time you spend on finishing your different tasks and your personal time. An easy method to do so is by creating a calendar of your daily activities and tasks. In this timeline, make sure to include the tasks that you aim to finish by the end of the day, the time each task takes to be completed, and the family and personal commitments you have. The timeline will help you stay organized as it will keep you reminded of the important family celebrations you have.
3. Organize Your Workspace:
Organizing your workspace further helps with maintaining a work-life balance. As a real estate agent, your work can become overwhelming due to the fact that you are dealing with clients – receiving calls and emails all day. Thus, it’s important that you use a separate phone and email address for your work. Also, set flexible yet specific work hours so your work won’t take all your time. Your work might require long hours, so it’s important to have a comfortable working setting. Invest in the tools which help you work comfortably and focus on finishing your tasks on time. An organized workspace pays off the best interest: effective work!
4. Plan ahead of Time:
To find a work-life balance, it’s essential to plan ahead of time. Planning for your days gives you control over your time and helps you set boundaries. In order to be able to plan effectively, you must have an overview of the tasks you want to finish. As you go with planning, you’d be able to identify your priorities accordingly. While planning, include your personal time in your daily schedule. Once you learn to value your “me time”, you stick to taking rests and spending time with your loved ones the same way you stick to completing a task and getting things done. Planning your daily tasks according to your work schedule keeps you aware of the things that you should finish and helps you avoid having meetings during your personal time. You can always refer to paper or electronic planners to set your schedule for the day and plan sooner.
Finding equilibrium between work and personal life is challenging; however, if you implement the right strategy, you will be able to achieve this balance and live a healthy, stress-free life. Your personal time is as valuable as your professional career; in fact, your personal time is what keeps you active and hyped up to finish your work and advance in your career. Both sides of the scale matter; the more you work on keeping them balanced, the more rewarding the outcome will be. And always remember, if you’re passing through some struggles in your work which demand overtime, communicate the issue with your surroundings. When sharing your worries with the people whom you care about, you will feel less stressed and overwhelmed which will help you get back on track!
