8 Ways to Stay Positive and Motivated This Spring

Warmer weather is arriving, yet burnout and energy drain still hang over the heads of many agents in these trying times. Here are some ideas for recharging your batteries, getting grounded, and finding more energy to get things done in 2012. In a recent broadcast, AgentRADIO sat down with Dan Richards, special business development contributor and president of Strategic Imperatives in Toronto, to talk about the challenges facing sales and marketing agents this spring—and how to keep positive amid changes and uncertainty in the financial services industry. Richards reported that at first-quarter round tables, he was hearing optimism among agents—and a far more positive outlook than a year ago. Yet apprehension is still in the air. There is some uncertainty about markets and the economy, but more importantly, Richards was hearing that agents sense dramatic shifts coming in the financial agenty business. "A lot of agents say the rules of the game seem to be changing," said Richards. "They're not sure that the things that made them successful in the past are going to work going forward—whether it relates to building portfolios, attracting clients, or locking in relationships with existing clients." As a result, many agents are experiencing elevated stress, and Richards offered a variety of strategies to help stay positive. Fortunately, these tactics are not complicated—they're basic moves that are easy to stick with, because as Richards says, "The stuff that works is the simple stuff." Prepare your next day. Richard pointed out that none of us is productive when we're feeling overwhelmed. Focusing your mind on things that you can control allows you to get centered and moves you away from being reactive or acting out of panic. Richards recommends spending just 10 minutes—and no more than that—at the end of your day laying out the critical activities that must get done the next day. That way you can hit the ground running in the morning with a sense of purpose—and generate accomplishments every day. "I was talking to one agent, and what he does is at the end of each day he writes down the three most important things that he has to do the next day," reported Richards. "He focuses on hard things—hard conversations with clients, things he's been putting off. When he comes in the next morning, he doesn't do anything else until he's addressed those top three things. "He says it's made a huge impact to how he feels, [because of] the load that gets lifted of his shoulders." Refuse to be a victim. Richards likes to keep in mind Jack Welch's advice that feeling sorry for ourselves is one of the most destructive and energy-sapping behaviors we can engage in. Yet he knows it's a temptation we all face. It's an understandable problem to feel the world's not fair—sometimes we get disappointed through no particular fault of our own. Richards gave the example of talking with a good client, "and they tell you that their sister has married or has gotten engaged to an agent, and they feel the need to move their business to support their sister and her husband. And when you hang up the phone after that, it's easy to say, 'The world's not fair.' "So I think we're all entitled to feel sorry for ourselves for about five seconds," said Richards. "But then Jack Welch would say, 'You know what? You gotta pick yourself up and move on.' Being a victim just saps our energy. It's not productive. So it's important to recognize the warning signs and just say, Look, I'm not gonna fall into that trap." Keep it positive. Studies have shown that high achievers almost never respond with something negative when you ask them a question. They usually reply with something that they're excited about, whereas underachievers seem to dwell on what's negative in their lives. Dwelling on the downside not only keeps agents feeling bad about themselves, according to Richards. It also affects how other tend to see them—it compromises agents' likability. And when it comes to getting and keeping clients, likability is a very valuable quality. "It's remarkable how often I hear [satisfied] clients say, 'I just like my agent.' Pure and simple," said Richards. "Clients respond to someone with a smile on their face, somebody who has a higher energy level." That means you sometimes have to dig deep, because obviously we don't always feel positive. If you're wondering how to do that, check out these ideas on how to cultivate more optimism in your life. Maintain your energy level. To maintain your positive outlook, get plenty of exercise, fresh air, and if it's available, sunshine. "These have been clearly, scientifically, empirically demonstrated to correlate with higher energy, a more positive outlook. So I'm a big fan," said Richards. "And you don't have to go to a gym necessarily and work up a big sweat. Even half an hour, a brisk walk in the morning to start your day, will boost your energy level." Dodge the negaholics. Richards also recommends staying away from chronically negative people. It's simple enough: if you've got someone in your office that's constantly a downer, don't eat lunch with them every day. Positive energy is contagious, and a negative attitude and energy is as well. Stay away from negative people. "When I'm doing workshops, I'll sometimes make this point, and people nod their heads," Richards said. "And then I say—and this always gets a laugh—and if you for the next little while find your colleagues avoiding you, you may want to reflect on how you're seen in your office." Build in positive reinforcements. Richards encourages agents to find ways to give themselves positive reinforcement throughout each day. Little rewards should be part of your routine; because you'll then already have built-in pick-me-ups established when you hit the especially tough days. "Sometimes if the market's been a little choppy, or if you've had a tough meeting, it's easy to get down," said Richards. "And that's natural. It's human nature. So it's important to find ways to give ourselves a little bit of a boost, to feel better about what we're doing." That could be something as simple as carving out time for a walk every afternoon, getting a particular drink or treat in the morning, or planning a specific time to pick up your joke of the day—whatever gives you a little lift that you can build in on a daily basis. Reward yourself—regularly. Richards also recommends that every agent build in some R&R each and every quarter. He says to book a long weekend once a quarter that you can anticipate with pleasure in addition to a more substantial holiday taken once a year. "Every quarter you go to your calendar, you block off a three-day weekend—you can look forward to that and doing something—you don't have to spend a lot of money. Just do something to get out of your normal routine," Richards said. Reward your staff. He also noted that little rewards can go a long way with your staff. Giving a sales assistant the afternoon off or tickets to a show can maintain motivation—and provide time to refresh and rejuvenate. Richards has observed that since Friday afternoons after 2 p.m. are not usually the most productive hours in the work week, it can be a great perk to let staff start the weekend early. Richards noted, "If you say, 'Look, why don't you take Friday afternoon off—work until 1 or 1:30 and then take the rest of the afternoon off,' you're not really giving that much time off. But the impact on your team is huge." Implementing these kinds of strategies is simple, and you may wonder how much impact such straightforward moves will make. You might be surprised how quickly little changes can create substantial benefits in your mood, your outlook, and your ability to maintain a healthful reserve of energy.

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