We talk a lot on this blog about helping you market your real estate business. We know how important it is to stay consistent – and how difficult that can be when there are competing priorities.
Today I want to step back and remind you – and myself – that we’re all human. The holidays are hectic as can be, and it can be very challenging to keep your business going strong. Here are some tips that will help you manage better this holiday season.
Maintain Consistent Work Hours
The best way to not short-change your business or your personal life is to stick to your usual work hours. Set aside time to prospect, farm, send marketing postcards, and more – and do those things during those times.
Then, when it’s time to “turn it off,” do so to the best of your ability! It’s not the busy season so it should be easier to keep consistent work hours.
Doing this can be the first step to making sure your business stays strong but your personal life and holiday priorities are not ignored.
Work With Your Emotions
One of the reasons the holidays are so stressful is that they bring a range of emotions with them. Perhaps you’ve lost someone this year, and you’re grieving. Perhaps you remember happy holidays from childhood, but your adult life doesn’t have that shine.
Or, maybe it’s your favorite time of year and you simply don’t want to think about work this month!
Working with your emotions is a vital way to make the holidays more manageable – and even enjoyable! Whether that means meditation, acknowledging troublesome emotions, or seeing a counselor, work with how you feel rather than hiding from it.
How you feel – good, bad, or indifferent – is valid. Sometimes just recognizing that makes things so much easier.
Set Boundaries
The holidays are a tough time to set boundaries. You want to say “Yes” to everything because you want to be in the holiday spirit! Or, you might worry about upsetting friends or family that you say “No” to.
The truth is, though, you deserve to enjoy the holidays too! And that means not saying yes to every single thing. Plus, if you don’t really want to be there – or don’t have time to manage everything you committed to – it will show.
Isn’t it better to really enjoy a few things, instead of forcing so much? And you might even discover that the only person who expected you to do 100 things is you.
Include Your Business in the Holidays
You’re not the only one who can show up this holiday season – consider ways to include your business as well! Whether that means sending holiday cards or holding a holiday business event, think about how you can bring your business into the season.
When your business is part of your holiday plans, instead of a competing priority, you might find it easier to balance your work and life this month.
Those are my tips! What about you? Do you struggle with stress and business priorities during the holiday season? How do you handle it? Share in the comments!