Working hard or workaholic? What’s the difference? I’ve contemplated this question many times on my journey to my professional goals. I didn’t get to where I am today by doing the status quo. I’ve worked very hard. I’ve worked hours that many would consider insane. And I’ve made my fair share of sacrifices. But I can honestly say that there were points when my devotion bordered on unhealthy—when the significant people in my life couldn’t recall a time when they’d spent a work-free evening with me for months on end. It was during those times that I was forced to take a long, hard look at my priorities and accept the fact that I was a workaholic.
Today, I see these same symptoms all too frequently in my travels across the country as I speak to real estate agents determined to get their careers up and running—motivated to make a name for themselves in this competitive industry. In each new destination, it’s always the same. I recognize that look of utter exhaustion in their eyes and in their hunched shoulders. The line between personal and professional has been blurred for far too long and they just can’t take it anymore. These agents are searching for something, anything, to help them stop the madness.
I can tell you one thing for certain, the stress of the workaholic lifestyle—the fatigue, the sleeplessness, the anxiety—and what these stress-related ailments can lead to, is too big a price to pay for any financial reward. I can also tell you that while stress is the occasional by-product of professional prosperity, they are not mutually inclusive. By working smarter, you can get the results you desire. I know this from firsthand experience.
And this firsthand experience is why I’m committed to helping agents find a better way. The Gateway event my organization puts on throughout the year addresses the critical issue of balance head on. I’m just as passionate about its message today as I was when I started more than two decades ago. As our biggest event of the year approaches, I felt compelled to reflect on the tools it has given so many agents—on how it has helped people ward of workaholism and take back their precious lives. Check out Hobbs/Herder.com to get more information on our annual event in Las Vegas.