For almost two years, the national real estate market has gone from recovery to a record boom. Home sales across the nation are at record levels and more people, over 69.6 million in the first quarter of 1999, are homeowners than any other time in history. Brokers and agents are doing record numbers of transactions. Business is great. In fact, it's so great, that many Realtors are burning the candles at both ends. Are you finding that you are working harder and enjoying it less? If you think you are close to burn out, read on.

You are not alone if you are working longer hours and enjoying it less. A recent Department of Labor survey found that Americans are working longer hours than ever. Over the last twenty years, working time has increased by 15 percent ad leisure time has decreased by 33 percent, according to Dr. Donald E. Wetmore, author of Beat the Clock. Men are working 3% longer and women are working a whopping 15% longer than in 1976. This is an incredible irony, considering this is the age of electronic convenience. Despite wireless communications and computer technology, we are working harder than ever.

Although occupation-specific statistics don't exist, it is safe to say that Realtors, whose work hours typically bleed into family and social time, have even fewer opportunities to restrict the number of hours they work. That makes the occupation of real estate sales a prescription for burn-out - but only if you allow it to be.

Dr. Wetmore theorizes that it's not the work that is the problem, it's that we've forgotten how to balance our lives. In order to reduce stress and enjoy a balanced lifestyle, Wetmore suggests that seven areas in our lives require continuing attention and maintenance. They are: health, family, finances, intellectual stimulation, socializing, work and the spirit.

He advises,"We don't spend equal amounts of time on each (area) every day, but if we get out of balance in any one of them, it hurts the rest. If things are't going well in your family, it's going to affect your job."

Wetmore offers the disasterous example of divorce - a person of 25 finds himself in divorce court at age 45. "That person gives up 50 percent of everything they have ever worked for. Ninety-five percent of all divorces are caused by lack of communication."

We know how important the spirit is to Oprah Winfrey; she has made keeping in touch with the spirit a tag line of her popular daily show. But what about work? Realtors have to do business while it is there to do.

The most overwhelming problem for most Realtors is time management. Living their lives at the beck and call of clients wreaks havoc on their work and personal schedules, but a solution can simply be to put up firewalls when appropriate. You don't have to explain to anyone that you would rather attend your son's night game than show homes, especially after you have already put in a full day. All you have to do is say, "I already have that time scheduled." You don't have to apologize and you don't have to explain.

Another solution for potential burn-out is to delegate more. Most trainers recommend hiring an assistant to improve your business, but what about hiring one for peace of mind? or to buy you more time with your family?

You can also explore some new time management techniques. Sign up for a course that you have been meaning to take and take it. Learn to move your business to the Internet, or learn a new software that will help you save time and money. These steps may entail a learning curve at first but it can be fun to learn something new and save you many hours of labor in the long run. After all, you may be working harder than you need to because your competitors are already employing many of these time savers.

For others, burn-out may not be so much a time management issue as one of motivation.

Management expert Joe Klock writes, "Some people would have you believe that "burnout" is an occupational hazard that can neither be avoided nor, if it occurs, cured. This is simply not true.

"No living thing, regardless of its age, environment or obstacles ever loses its burn -- its desire to go onward and upward -- as long as there lies ahead a clear and desirable objective.

"Such goals automatically supply the energy, creativity, stamina, courage and enthusiasm needed to motivate us -- to DRAW us toward their achievement. But goals that are no longer as attractive as they once were lack that magnetic power and thus fail to inspire positive action.

If you're feeling like you've slipped into neutral or you're stuck in "park," shop around your psyche for a new purpose; once you've found it, you'll shift back into a forward gear, light up your after-burner and take off like the rocket you were meant to be!"

Whatever the reason that you are working harder and enjoying it less, there is a solution. Watch for cues to let you know where the problems are. Look at the activities that cause the most stress and ask yourself, "How can I lighten this load, or make this task easier?" Sometimes we spend more on unpleasant or difficult tasks than we need to simply because we don't like doing them. The real gift of time management and stress reduction is learning and implementing new solutions that help you rethink unpleasant chores neutrally or as a pleasure.

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Published: August 30, 1999

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Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. For more articles by Blanche, click here.