As a young professional in commercial real estate, I relate to other entrepreneurs on a few things:
I don’t have a salary job.
I set my own schedule.
I decide what I am going to do when I go to work every day.
The flexibility is nice, but it means that my success, failures, and outcomes are closely tied to my performance, decisions, and goals.
When you are an entrepreneur, you are constantly learning how to best serve others, and through this you earn your success.
Because time and knowledge are our two most valuable resources, I wanted to share the most helpful practices I have found as a young entrepreneur.
Goals
Yeah, I know what you’re thinking.
“Goals” is probably the most trite and overused topic when discussing personal development. But I believe the way goals are thought about is just as important as the goal itself.
The Process, Not the Result
I recently read a book called, “Chop Wood Carry Water,” which I highly recommend. The book discusses how it’s important to fall in love with the process of being great/ achieving goals instead of obsessing over the goal itself. My advice: Learn to love the process not the result!
Break It Down
Break down goals into different buckets, personal goals, professional goals, short term goals, long term goals. Break those goals down futher, and set a realistic deadline/timeline for those results to be achieved.
10 goals over the course of 5 years are only 2 goals per year. That is a lot less overwhelming than looking at 10 big daunting goals at once.
Once goals are broken down into small, bite sized pieces and put on an achievable timeline, then it’s easier to see how they can be accomplished over time.
Review, Review, Review
Review goals regularly! I can’t emphasize this point enough.
Once the goals are written down, and a timeline is established, review goals regularly. Put it on the calendar and review often, whether it’s every day or once a week.
There is something about reviewing goals repeatedly that switches the mindset from I want this to happen, to it is going to happen, to it is happening!
Let these goals seep into your subconscious!
Mentorship
Again, “get a mentor” sounds really generic, but I have a twist to the common advice!
Get a mentor who is vey experienced in your field and has a lot of experience first and foremost. BUT this is where some people stop.
Old and Wise/ Young and Inspiring
Seek mentors who are not only older and wiser but also people who are a few years further into their career and are rockstars in their profession!
Seek the wisdom from the experienced. Seek inspiration and motivation from someone who was in your shoes in the not-too distant past.
Connect Across Professions
Have lunch, coffee, or calls with people in other professions.
Asking them about their industries, share ideas! You may be surprised to learn some of the innovative things they do in their industry/business that you can apply to your own.
Create Relationships
To summarize, whether someone can be a mentor, a referral partner, or just an amazing friend, be open minded to opportunities to meet people. Make an effort to reach out afterward. Send an email, make a call or write a note.
Listen
Become an intentional, good listener! I have learned so much since I have made an extra effort to become a super intentional listener.
Process Makes Proficiency
For everyone, across all professions, I believe this statement applies:
Time is our most limited resource. Therefore, not only what we choose to pursue but how we choose to pursue these things can be a differentiating factor in our success.
Most young professionals have years of practice ahead of them to perfect their skills and their business. At any stage in the business, process can be a competitive advance.
Having a process, understanding the process, streamlining the process, staying organized, and perfecting the process over time will allow for proficiency to be achieved at its highest level.
On the Topic of Time
I have found it very beneficial to set aside some time every day for personal development.
Whether you choose to read books related to your field, read about current events, listen to podcasts, or go for a run outside, have a designated time every day that is devoted to the area(s) in which you’d like to grow. These small efforts compound quickly over time.
Comfort is a Casualty
I get it. We all like to be comfortable.
No one likes making those difficult calls, going into those hard meetings, or risking rejection.
It is absolutely impossible to continue to grow while staying in our comfort zone. The things we really don’t want to do are usually the things we need to do the most!
I have found it helpful to make small, progressive baby steps in the areas that are uncomfortable.
Start ridiculously small, and it won’t seem so bad.
In fact, you’ll quickly have a desire to take additional action because that small step was actually pretty easy.
Make each step a goal (which you review regularly), let those little steps/goals compound, and you will be doing things daily that seemed terrifying a few months earlier.
Conclusion
These are some of the most helpful things I have done as a young entrepreneur. Although I have applied these topics to my commercial real estate career, I believe they could be applicable to many professions.
If you’d like to discuss this blog or anything related to commercial real estate, let’s talk!
Emma McDaniel
864-576-4660
