Time management is a critical factor in the success of real estate professionals and businesses. Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about time, and time management for that matter. These misconceptions can be damaging to a business on more than one level. Those that see through them get to enjoy more free time, and accomplish far more than most believe possible.
Using Real Estate to Hack Time
Real estate is the ultimate time hacking machine. Even many people that have been struggling to get minimum wage work can get into real estate and effectively make hundreds, and even thousands of dollars an hour. Real estate can work to make you money while you are sleeping, on vacation, laid up in a hospital bed, and even while you are working another job.
The Need to Maximize Our Time
Unfortunately, without real estate most individuals and families won’t be able to keep up. At best, they are always just getting by. Even with $100,000 saved for an emergency or two, or a bad day in the stock market can wipe it all out in a few hours. This still applies if you make six figures a year. The system is just designed that way. Real estate hacks that system by producing more income and wealth per hour.
Time Management Tricks
Getting into real estate as a career or investor can help. However, even then, individuals need to maximize their time, and harness the power of good time management. However, time management can be a trap in itself. You need to know what you are doing.
There are at least four ways in which trying to get more done can be counterproductive. Being rude is one of the biggest and most underestimated. Hyper busy people can often come off as being really rude. They don’t always mean to, they are just in a hurry. They often can’t understand why others aren’t keeping up. But this can be incredibly self-sabotaging. You don’t know who you are going to offend. That can lead to some seriously bad and expensive PR. Unless you are a celebrity, bad PR is just plain bad.
This also carries over to the second issue: not listening. You can’t listen effectively when you are in too much of a rush. Listening is one of the most important parts of successful real estate marketing and sales. Don’t overlook the need to stop and listen.
Being busy versus actually doing the things that matter is the third way to be counterproductive. You can juggle three mobile phones, a smartwatch, tablet, in person meeting, and even a beeper at the same time, but are you really getting more done? You must hone in on the 20% of the activities that make 80% of the money. Let someone else handle the other 80% of the busy work. Make sure you are just focusing on what matters the most – the highest and best possible use of your time.
Fourthly, recognize that sometimes the best use of your time is simply to do nothing. That is resting, taking time off, and even going on vacation. It’s the only way you’ll avoid burn out. Getting enough rest is actually key to maximizing the productivity of the hours you are engaging in real estate.
So use real estate to hack time, but recognize the pitfalls of being busy versus really optimizing your time. In the end, you’ll have the time and finances to do the things you really care about.
