Give yourself a pat on the back

I was down at school earlier in the week, my son is a musician and they had the ‘musicians assembly’ (it feels like a school event a day at this time of the year – just to make life all that much busier).

One of the students did a beautiful version of John Legend’s ‘All of Me’, and you could have heard a pin drop.

After the student had been deservedly congratulated, the teachers congratulated the audience for their exceptional listening skills. Sometimes spreading the praise around is a good idea.

I was speaking to a friend who just sold $13 million worth of houses in seven days, $7 million of it unconditionally. He barely accepted my congratulations before sharing that he nearly didn’t survive the downturn. ‘It has been so hard’.

Personally, having lived through the GFC downturn, and reading accounts and speaking to people who worked and lived through the earlier downturns in the ‘80s, I know that this one has been tough. Some have said the worst downturn in living memory for real estate agents and others in the property space.

I am not saying that it’s ‘over’ or that the chickens have come home to roost yet, but things are looking so much better. As I look back over the past five years, it has been tumultuous, a hard graft with ups and downs, and a lot of work that went unrewarded for us all. I know that there are a lot more agents going into the 24/25 festive season with more sales in the pipeline and more reward for their work than the 23/24 festive season. A good thing.

So with signs improving, I don’t think that it is too early to take a moment to give yourself a little pat on the back, and remind yourself that you have held in there. If you happen to be in an office right now with some other survivors around you, why don’t you give them a pat on the back too because it never hurts to spread the praise around a little.