Sounds like a heading of a TV show doesn’t it! I’ve got a 2-year-old daughter (going on 5 years of age by the way she acts) and gee it’s been a whirlwind ride the last couple of years. We’re both so lucky to have an amazing mum that’s been part of this journey that helps with the heavy lifting since real estate is all day, every day. There have been great moments, there has also been some not-so-great moments. As they say you take the good with the bad, but I’ve learnt a lot that I didn’t expect too. So, what are my learnings from my 2-year-old that I can share with readers.
Well, the first thing that springs to mind is your attitude. 2-year old’s have plenty of this in buckets, but you need to make sure you’re approach to anything you do is positive. Creating a positive environment makes for better outcomes. It doesn’t matter what’s happened during the day if a deal fell over, you’ve had an irate client or things just haven’t gone your way, it’s about how you approach things. So, control the controllable and the rest is out of your hands.
Kids are inquisitive little buggers as well. They’re climbing all over you when you’re trying to get stuff done. They like to ask questions and more as they get older. They want your time most of all. My daughter loves the saying “one more minute” which ends up being like 5 – 10 minutes. Funny it doesn’t work the other way when I want to watch the cricket and she wants Bluey on TV! My point here is we all have limited time and so many people want this time with you. So how do you balance the correct amount? The answer? There is no correct answer. Everyone is different, everyone has different priorities and are at different times of their lives. So don’t be hard on yourself, workout what works for you and do it.
My daughter loves looking at the real estate ads in the paper to the find the picture of her Dad. Maybe a future real estate agent in the making? Who knows what the world of real estate will be like once she turns 18. Will community newspapers still be advertising properties? What will AI do to real estate? How much will be digital and how much will be face to face? People talk of blockchain and how it will impact the industry and associated industries? My point here is that everyone learns differently, and industries are always changing. Today’s 2-year-olds will be all over this and the one thing I do know is that by the time my daughter turns 18, the world of real estate will be a totally different landscape.
A key learning my daughter taught me is to expect the unexpected. Anything is possible, any single day. Some go to plan, other days don’t. But you wake up the next day and go again even better.
I do know that my daughter has made me more grounded in real estate. I live and breathe real estate however what I’ve learnt is a more balanced and better focus on things around me that are important. And that’s one of my greatest learnings from my little girl.
