There’s yet another fascinating lesson on the rewards of patience: Meaning lies on the other side of discomfort
Stephan Joppich, Medium.com
This quote is from the post on Medium.com by Stephan Joppich that lead me to read the book Four Thousand Weeks.
I don't know if it's for you, but here's a summary of the book in case you might want to read it.
The average human lifespan is absurdly, insultingly brief. Assuming you live to be eighty, you have just over four thousand weeks.
Nobody needs telling there isn’t enough time.
We’re obsessed with our lengthening to-do lists, our overfilled inboxes, work-life balance, and the ceaseless battle against distraction; and we’re deluged with advice on becoming more productive and efficient, and “life hacks” to optimize our days.
But such techniques often end up making things worse.
The sense of anxious hurry grows more intense, and still the most meaningful parts of life seem to lie just beyond the horizon.
Still, we rarely make the connection between our daily struggles with time and the ultimate time management problem: the challenge of how best to use our four thousand weeks.
Drawing on the insights of both ancient and contemporary philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual teachers, Oliver Burkeman delivers an entertaining, humorous, practical, and ultimately profound guide to time and time management.
Rejecting the futile modern fixation on “getting everything done,” Four Thousand Weeks introduces readers to tools for constructing a meaningful life by embracing finitude, showing how many of the unhelpful ways we’ve come to think about time aren’t inescapable, unchanging truths, but choices we’ve made as individuals and as a society—and that we could do things differently.
How might this book apply to real estate agents?
1. Prioritizing and Time Management: As a real estate agent, there are countless tasks and activities that you could be doing to grow your business. However, as the book points out, you only have a limited amount of time in your life to devote to these activities. Therefore, it's important to prioritize and focus on the things that will have the biggest impact on your success. By doing so, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed and make the most of your time.
2. Embracing the Journey: Real estate is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time and effort to build a successful business. By embracing the journey and focusing on the process, rather than just the end result, you can stay motivated and avoid burnout. Celebrate the small successes along the way and don't get too caught up in comparing yourself to others.
3. Work-Life Balance: It's easy for real estate to consume your entire life. However, as the book points out, this can lead to burnout and a lack of fulfillment. It's important to make time for hobbies, family, and other interests outside of work. This can actually make you a better agent in the long run, as it helps you maintain perspective and avoid becoming too obsessed with work.
I used to be proud of the fact that as I walked up the gangplank to board a dream cruise for the ABC islands, I received a text from a client that they wanted to cancel a contract for the purchase of a home because of items they had discovered in the inspection.
I've told this story over and over about how cool real estate is. And how dedicated I am to helping my clients.
Instead of grabbing my first glass of champagne with my lovely wife, I left her in a comfortable chair in a lounge area and went directly to our room to cancel the contract.
Of course, I was carrying my laptop in my backpack. I am never more than an hour away from my laptop. I didn't return to find her until I had written another contract for the next offer and submitted it a to different listing agent.
After dinner the new offer was accepted. The next day I coordinated the escrow deposit and help set up another inspection. I did all of this on the ships WIFI. I'm really good at this!
Later in the cruise I negotiated repairs from that inspection and saved that deal.
Oh, and I closed a different deal on that cruise. I paid for my cruise on my cruise. Pretty cool, right?
This is what we veteran real estate agents call a "humble brag." Talking about what a great real estate agent I am. Blah, blah, blah. Eye roll!
I'm thinking lately that maybe I am not all of this, or even most of that, which, I would like to think I am.
After reading this book and thinking back, I should have used an assistant, or another agent handle all of it.
Reading the book Four Thousand Weeks takes you on a journey to a destination that screams back at you saying, "You might be misliving!"
If that's not uncomfortable, well, maybe you've already figured it out.
Buen Camino!
~Lance v21.738
