I am amazing at my job.
I am literally the Happiest Person in Real Estate: I have confidence in what I do, I perform at a high level, I’m an authority in my field, my time is managed well, I have great connections, serving others is my primary focus, I’m constantly learning and evolving, my life is balanced, and I’m in great shape physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
But I’m not special. I’m not better than you. If you’re willing to put in the work, you can be (and feel) amazing too.
Amazing is more of a flow than a static thing, but if you know what you’re after and can overcome personal obstacles, you can live in that place long-term.
Here are the 10 ways that I define amazing and defend against my demons.
Confidence vs. Self-Doubt
Take risks. Regardless of the outcome, the act of taking risks will build your confidence, so to fend it off, build small risks into your daily life. In other words, do something every day that scares you.
High Performance vs. Perfectionism
You’re better than you think you are. Get your deliverables out the door. Delegate anything that you are not the best at, and trust that something that is done at 80% is still pretty damn good.
Done is better than perfect.
Authority vs. Imposter Syndrome
If you are doing work to serve other people, and your experience and education speak to your expertise, you are all that and a can of corn. Refer back to your reasons and your resume—and you remember how good you are.
Order vs. Overwhelm
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. I’ve never had a day go exactly as I planned, but my planned days go so much better than the seat-of-my-pants days. Plan each year, quarter, week, and day—and don’t get discouraged when the plan changes. Because it will.
Pro tip: Use a timer to keep yourself on task. I find 5-25 minute intervals to be very effective.
Connected vs. Lonely
Leadership can be a lonely place. As a practice, get yourself into a mastermind group of people in roles analogous to yours. They don’t need to be in the same industry or market as you, but you need a place to share struggles, test ideas, and be held accountable.
Passion vs. Apathy
Especially as your business matures and you are delegating more of the client-facing work, the initial spark that started your venture can fade. To keep the love alive and remind yourself why you do what you do, make sure you are spending regular time in front of your end user and seeing the impact of your work.
Growth vs. Complacency
Know when it’s time to grow. What got you here is not going to get you there. To keep yourself from getting stale, make it a habit to get off the farm on a regular basis. Attend conferences, read books, and mastermind for best practices. Hiring a coach is also a great way to keep yourself sharp.
Learning vs. Failure
According to Seth Godin, ‘A failure is a project that doesn’t work, an initiative that teaches you something at the same time the outcome doesn’t move you directly closer to your goal.’ Try not to have too many feelings about it. Make failure a regular goal and call it tuition.
Balance vs. Burnout
Everyone has work and home (sometimes in the same place). What is your third place? This is the place that is neither work nor home but is very important to you. It might be the gym, your church, or the beach. Make sure you are spending regular time in your third place so you can periodically get back to yourself and recharge
Health vs. Sickness
For many entrepreneurs, health doesn’t matter until you lose it. Then it’s the only thing that matters. Don’t be that guy. Fuel yourself well, and make your body do some kind of work every day.
Like I said, being amazing is really hard work. But I guarantee—it’s worth it.
