You woke up today, answered your e-mail while gulping down the first of countless cups of coffee. You updated your webpage with new photos taken to replace the nearly perfect ones you already had - nearly perfect except that your seller left something out that was barely visible, yet they were sure it would have a negative influence on the quality of the photo. So you took time away from your family to re-shoot it last night, which inevitably involved reviewing your complete marketing plan with that same seller… Your kids are running late for school, miss the bus, and now need a ride, which you can do, if you just hustle and prepare the printouts for the buyers you are meeting at the office at 9AM… And they will likely be early, as they are retired snowbirds, and have plenty of time… Oh, wait - some of these homes are occupied, so you need to leave time to call the owners to arrange the showings… No problem, you can do that on the way to the office, after dropping off the kids at school… You have the latest Bluetooth headphone, so your driving will not be “distracted” driving… Yeah, right!!  As you arrive at the office, a call comes in from a neighbor to one of your listings. They have relatives visiting, and would you mind coming over to show the home? Yes, right now, because, after all, the relatives are leaving later today to go back east, and have only been here a week…  In fact, they smiled & waved at you the other day as you put out the open house signs! Grrrrrr….

All of this kind of “stuff” will happen to each of us in this crazy business. All of this before 9 AM…  Don’t you wish you’d followed your uncle’s advice, and gotten a nice safe job at the post office??  Hey, don’t go postal on me, I’m just pointing out the facts of life as a Realtor… It will happen!

So now what? As a Realtor, we are paid to say YES… but there are only so many hours in a day, and when the world is demanding more from you than two of you could deliver, something’s gotta give. You choose. Ulcers, heart problems, “stuff” slipping into the cracks, un-returned calls, what is it going to be?? How about staging your own intervention? Interrupt your own life for a little R & R. How? Well, let’s back up… Work with a partner… Loosely, or tightly, but have a back up. Two of you, working together, leaning on each other from time to time, sharing a part of each other’s successes, and failures. Doctors do it, and they truly DO work in life & death situations. At least no one dies if they can’t see a home today! Think about it, and see if this model, this arrangement, would work for you. It beats the alternative! And enjoy that vacation! - Patrick Harfst, Southeast Valley Office, Executive Launch Advisor

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