Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of spending some time with our wonderful team of agents in the Hollister office. During our conversation, I shared something I called “20 Things,” a collection of thoughts and reminders about how we might approach the final months of the year. Some were serious, some were practical, and a few were intended to generate a laugh. But as I reflected on our conversation afterward, I realized there was a common thread running through all 20 suggestions. The quality of our lives is largely determined by the quality of the choices we make every day.
As real estate professionals, we’re conditioned to measure success through numbers. Closings, listings, production, income, and market share. And while those measurements are certainly important, particularly as we enter the final stretch of the year, I would argue that some of the most meaningful accomplishments we can achieve between now and December 31st won’t show up on a production report.
Maybe it’s repairing a relationship that’s been strained for far too long. Maybe it’s picking up the phone and calling someone you love, not because you need something, but simply because you want them to know you’re thinking about them. Perhaps it’s taking ten minutes to write a handwritten thank-you note to someone who has made a difference in your life. Or maybe it’s finally making that doctor’s appointment you’ve been putting off, getting back into an exercise routine, or simply making a commitment to take better care of yourself.
None of these things are particularly complicated. In fact, most require very little time or money. Yet somehow, in the busyness of our lives, they become the very things we continually postpone.
One of the points I shared with our Hollister team was the importance of changing the color of our thoughts. Think about that for a moment. We spend an extraordinary amount of time allowing circumstances, frustrations, disappointments, and other people’s expectations to influence how we feel about ourselves and the world around us. But we have far more control over our outlook than we sometimes give ourselves credit for. Spend your time focusing on grievances, and you’ll find more reasons to be frustrated. Spend your time looking for opportunities, and you’ll begin to see possibilities that were there all along. Same life, different perspective.
Another point was the importance of acknowledging the people who support us. In our business, nobody succeeds entirely on their own. Behind every successful agent is a collection of people who contribute to that success, often without receiving much recognition. Our administrative teams, transaction coordinators, marketing professionals, managers, colleagues, friends, and families all play a role. When was the last time you stopped long enough to sincerely thank someone who consistently makes your life a little easier? A little appreciation can go a remarkably long way.
And here’s something else worth considering. As we approach the holiday season, there’s a natural tendency to become consumed with everything we need to accomplish before the calendar turns. We push harder, work longer, spend more, and convince ourselves that we’ll slow down once the new year arrives. But January 1st isn’t a magical reset button. The habits we carry into the new year are largely the habits we’re practicing today. If we want 2027 to be better, perhaps the smartest thing we can do is begin making better choices right now.
I shared 20 suggestions with our Hollister agents, but I’m certainly not suggesting anyone needs to tackle all 20. In fact, I’d encourage you to do something much simpler. Choose three things that you know would make a meaningful difference in your life and commit to following through on them before the end of the year. Maybe one is personal, one is professional, and one involves someone you care about. Don’t overcomplicate it. Just make the commitment and then honor it.
We’re all going to arrive at December 31st, whether we’re ready or not. The question is whether we’ll look back on these final months and feel that we simply survived them, or that we made a conscious effort to make them count.
Yes, I want every one of you to finish the year strong professionally. I want you to pursue that next listing, follow up with that prospective client, and put yourself in the best possible position for a successful 2027. But I also want you to remember that success is about much more than what we accomplish at work. It’s about the relationships we nurture, the gratitude we express, the health we protect, and the kind of person we choose to become along the way.
Finish strong, absolutely. But more importantly, finish well.
