4 Steps to Building Resilience in the Face of Adversity

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been a real estate agent, or how successful you’ve been. Everybody, regardless of their experience, or success, is bound to hit a dry spell, a slump, a sales funk. Regardless of what you call it, these experiences can play head games with the best of us. HOW COME NOBODY IS ANSWERING THE PHONE??

These rough patches can be frustrating, at best, and debilitating, if left unchecked.

What sets top performers (especially Vuclan7 agents) apart from the pack is their ability to be resilient. They have a unique ability to shake it off, to bounce back, to ignore those voices in their heads that might render others powerless to move forward. Resilience is not a natural trait. It takes conscious practice to build the kind of mental fortitude that allows you to snap back from a slump.

Here are a FOUR tips for building resilience:

1. GET REAL, get honest: The first rule of problem-solving is to acknowledge that you, indeed, have a problem. It’s easy to get swept down the river of DENIAL, and not get real about what’s happening. But once you give voice to a problem, you’ll begin to feel the energy shift inside of you. Honest is the first step to clarity.
2. REFLECT on your successes: Take time to consider what you’ve accomplished in your career. Celebrate the fact that you’ve created a solid, winning business. Remind yourself that your success wasn’t a fluke, but a result of your passion and commitment. Of course, past success does not guarantee freedom from future setbacks and disappointments. But your historic performance should affirm what you are capable of at any time.
3. It’s about the BASICS: Have you deviated from your plan? If so, get back to it. If you don’t have a plan, there’s no time like the present to create one. High level agents know the importance of sticking to a plan, to creating good work habits and practices, routines that manifest in success. As you reflect on your past accomplishments (Tip #2), focus on the role that the basics played in your success. If you haven’t figure it out already, real estate is a business that rewards those who stick to the basics.
4. You’re NOT ALONE: The human condition means that we’ll all go through periods of frustration, discouragement and doubt. For some, such periods come and go quickly. For others, frustration, left unchecked, can morph into a nasty ogre. That’s when you need to remind yourself: you don’t have to go it alone. Always work on your support network, such as role-playing partners or coaches or just fellow agents who “get it.” It feels great to get things off your chest. But you’ll also take comfort in hearing that others have gone through the same challenges that you’re facing. Thus, confirming that you’re not alone.

The world of sports is replete with examples of world-class athletes who fall into slumps and lose their confidence to compete. Gymnasts (like Simone Biles) get the “twisties” when their brains cannot remember how to do even the most basic moves. Or, in golf, “the yips,” when golfers struggle to make even the shortest putts. And, of course, baseball slumps are legendary.

Regardless of the sport, elite athletes come back, by adhering to the same principles outlined above. They know that failure and frustration are part of the process. They know they have to keep at it. Perhaps hockey great Wayne Gretzky captured it best when he said:

“You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.” 

Doug Spak

Doug Spak has over four decades of experience as an advertising copywriter, agency creative director, blogger, and content creator. He joined Vulcan7 as a Content Specialist in 2016. In addition to ongoing website copy refreshes, Doug has produced over 300 blog posts while developing content for Vulcan7’s social media platforms.