This article first appeared in Real Estate magazine’s special-edition Women in Real Estate issue. View the entire issue here.
It’s pretty amazing to work with, learn from or observe someone who is a master of their talent, passion or trade. While for most, the road to mastery feels mysterious and unreachable, for them it appears effortless.
The good news is that this road is available to anyone willing to take the journey.
The path to success may look easy, but it’s rife with hard lessons, small victories, plateaus and challenges. There is no direct route to the top. In fact, most of this pursuit toward mastery is spent on the unpleasant and often mundane plateau.
These plateaus can feel absolutely dreadful, but that changes when you approach them with a fresh point of view. There is power in staying the course and pushing through, even though you’d rather give up and try something else.
It’s what you choose to do at the plateau that creates your next peak. If you feel like you’ve been spending time on a plateau, use these tips to stay focused on mastery instead of getting frustrated.
Focus on Your Progress
Think about where you began your journey compared to where you are now. We tend to get caught up comparing ourselves to others in the middle of their climb, but the comparison game is a complete waste of energy. When you get frustrated and feel like your progress has stalled, understand that you have still gained ground. This new plateau is higher than your last, but the solution is still the same: keep moving. Try to reconnect with your “why” by remembering what drives you on your professional journey.
Be Present
Always remain present on that plateau, no matter how sick you are of dealing with it. Do the best you can with the tools you have, and get to work. The road to mastery doesn’t include shortcuts. You truly earn the way to your next peak, and to get there, you have to be willing to endure tough times and trust the process. Still, remember to celebrate your victories and every small step you take forward, while also learning from any mistakes and failures. Give your whole self to this learning process—life rewards courage.
Seek Support and Training
You do not have to walk your journey toward mastery alone. Avoid isolation by leaning into a community of like-minded, sharp professionals who are always helping each other. At the same time, look to invest in yourself and your business with real estate training, especially during those plateaus. There are real estate training programs specifically designed to build your skills and confidence at every stage of your career for consistent action, while providing you with all the tools you need to climb to your next level.
This journey of mastery is filled with hope and growth, as well as challenges. For an exceptional real estate training program to help you power through your plateau and advance to the next peak, check out The Pathway to Mastery®— Advanced. This latest real estate training program from Buffini & Company is designed to help agents reach the next level to become true professionals. Learn more about the course at www.buffiniandcompany.com/advanced.
J’aime Nowak is a master trainer at Buffini & Company. To learn more, please visit buffiniandcompany.com.
