Maybe you’re an up-and-coming CRE professional, and you want to make it big. But you’ve also got personal values and family priorities you don’t want to sacrifice. If that sounds like you, read on.
Most people will tell you that you can’t have career success with sacrifice. And to an extent, that’s true. But how much sacrifice? And what has to go?
To be successful in any career, including commercial real estate, do you really have to work 80-hour weeks and skip your kid’s play?
Put simply: NO!
There’s an interesting interplay between success and fulfillment or well-being. Because being successful can certainly make you happier and open up greater options for self-care and fulfillment. But if you achieve this career success without staying true to yourself and holding onto family and things that matter, well, then it can actually hurt your well-being.
That said, there’s also the matter of how you look at sacrifice. In other words, is it really a sacrifice to stay home reading good business books than stay out late partying with friends? Or is it a smart investment in yourself?
See, the way you look at success and sacrifice helps you better understand that many things people feel frustrated over having to sacrifice are really just smart moves and wise investments. And with that perspective, you could say you really can achieve career success without sacrifice.
But on the other hand, if you never see friends, or if all you ever do is spend time on career advancement, then your personal and family life will suffer. So, of course, balance is crucial.
With that in mind, here are a few tried and true principles to help you succeed in your career without losing sight of your personal life and goals:
1) Nurture Relationships
Human connection really is what enriches our lives. And when you focus on nurturing those relationships, it doesn’t really matter if they are strictly professional or more personal. Having people in your court will propel you to success. These treasured relationships are what life is all about, so never sacrifice them. Doing so could actually hurt your success in the long term.
2) Go for Quality Over Quantity
If you want to stay busy, always spinning your wheels, never quite within reach of your professional goals, then focus on churning out a lot of poor-quality work. It will make you look busy, might even get you a promotion, and ensure burnout and frustration.
But if you want true career success without sacrifice, learn to do a few things really well. You’ll have more time, and the results will be more rewarding. You’ll make more impact with less sacrifice.
3) Make Priorities
Truly successful people who never sacrifice family or personal life for their careers understand the power of prioritization. Learn how to recognize what is truly important, and focus on that. Other things can be pushed off to a later date. Because, if everything is important, nothing is.
Now, this means cultivating and exercising your ability to say NO. Sometimes, there will be tasks and responsibilities you must turn down. If you don’t, you’ll soon find your days absolutely packed with things to do, and that’s when burnout sets in.
Determine what things are important, how much you can manage, and do those things well. Everything else, just say no to.
4) Set Boundaries
Boundaries are helpful in drawing lines between career goals and family/personal matters. Maintaining a work-life balance is critical. Be clear and upfront and respectful, and people will usually understand.
This might mean defining set business hours, putting your phone down on vacation, not checking emails when you’re with loved ones, etc. Boundaries help you value your time and energy to focus them into what truly achieves success.
5) Allow Time for Self-Care
Studies actually show that regular self-care reduces stress and improves productivity. So, while it may seem counter-intuitive to take time off now and then, it actually sets you up for success. No need to sacrifice those things that bring you peace and improve mental health. You can actually be more successful without sacrificing this.
Remember, you can succeed in CRE without losing sight of the things you love, the people who mean the most to you, or who you are as a person. Career success without sacrifice is very possible with a proper mindset and by following a few proven principles for balance.
Sources:
- Does Exceptional Success Require Sacrificing Other Things? | Psychology Today
- How Can You Achieve Success Without any Sacrifice | by Sibouze | Thought Thinkers | Medium
- 7 Highly Effective Tips for Achieving Work-Life Balance in CRE – Building Careers (buildingrecareers.com)
- People who achieve success without sacrificing their personal lives often adopt these 9 clever habits – Hack Spirit