When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears." Anthony Robbins
I'm going to start this article by making what you might think is a rather strange suggestion: I'd like you to think about making Thanksgiving a daily holiday for yourself -- not just an annual one.
Now why would I ask you to do such an odd thing? Because being thankful adds so much richness and fulfillment to our lives - not just our personal lives but also our work lives. You work in a marvelous profession: you get to help people with the largest financial investment they'll likely ever make - one that often offers a lifetime of financial security.
How often do you think about how rewarding your career is? I hope daily. I know I'm grateful every day for being able to coach agents and brokers, and take part in this grand, people-serving profession.
I also know the benefits of being grateful. Mr. Robbins is absolutely right: fear fades and abundance truly does appear. Researchers have proven it. In one study, those who completed a five-minute-a-day gratitude journal felt healthier, reported more rewarding relationships and positive emotions, and felt better about their careers.
When you're healthy, positive and effective at work, you're more productive. Gratitude makes us nicer, more trusting, more social, and more appreciative. The result? More friends, more contacts, more prospects and more business.
For you brokers out there, take heed. Studies have shown gratitude makes you a more effective manager by improving your decision making, increasing your empathy, boosting your productivity and helping your mentoring skills. Grateful brokers understand all the work agents do (the National Association of Realtors reports it takes about 300 tasks to sell a house) and as a result, their offices are friendlier and more enjoyable places to be. I've seen this so many times I've lost count.
Good brokers know how to show their appreciation. They understand their agents want and need regular recognition for their skills and hard work. Coincidentally, agents who know they're appreciated are more productive.
And what's interesting is that these same agents show their gratitude to their clients. They pay it forward. Then they become even better agents. Believe me; I see it all the time. Those agents have increased sales volume, better service, more repeat business, more professionalism and better morale.
It's a domino effect. Grateful brokers lead to grateful agents which lead to grateful clients. And we all know how much better life is when you have happy clients.
So how do you become more grateful? What specifically can you do to develop that attitude of gratitude? The experts report it's as easy as taking five minutes at the end of each day to write down a few items you're grateful for.
Another exercise is to picture in your mind someone you're grateful for. Then say out loud or in your mind specific reasons why you're grateful for them. Then switch to someone else.
Psychologists say that even when things seem bad - say a buyer backs out of a deal - you can reframe the situation with a more positive spin. You might say to yourself, 'Maybe it's good the buyer left, he may not have been happy in the long run and it could be that the next buyer will be a better fit.'
It often comes down to what I preach all the time: your attitude determines the altitude of your success.
Let me hear from you. Are you thankful daily? How often do you list what you're grateful for? How often do you express your gratitude? Are you expressing your gratitude in effective ways?
