By Cath Dickinson
As the COVID-19 crisis continues to unfold, we asked leading mindset coach Jet Xavier for his advice on how agents and business owners can navigate these uncertain times.
Focus on what you can control
Jet said agents need to focus on what they can control.
“This is key,” he emphasised. “There’s no point trying to control things that are out of your control. It just leads to extra stress at an already stressful time. Focus on the things that are within your sphere of influence. What’s happening today? Tomorrow?
“Things are changing rapidly and will continue to change in the coming days, weeks and months. This makes it hard to feel a sense of stability.”
Jet said agents can regain some stability by asking themselves “what can I control today?”
“This stops you fixating on the future and worrying about all the ‘what ifs’, which is wasted energy. You need that energy to focus on what’s in front of you today.”
Jet advised agents to “play the short game.”
“Look at the practical things you can do today to ensure your business can push through to the next stage of this crisis. Being reactive and focusing on today is OK.”
Have a different perspective
Your perspective drives your behaviour, Jet explained.
“If your perspective is ‘things are really, really bad’ or ‘gosh, everything is going to fall apart?’, you’re surrounding yourself with negative energy,” he said. “You need to foster a perspective that brings positive energy.”
But how? Jet advised agents to look for the upside.
“Now, more than ever, your perspective should be one of opportunity, not survival,” he said. “Ask yourself, ‘what opportunities are there?’ When you look for the upside, that’s a different energy. By changing your perspective of what’s going on around you, you’ll be in a stronger position.”
Choose optimism, not pessimism
If you look to history, we always come through, Jet said.
“We need optimism to sustain us, rather than pessimism, which will stifle us,” he explained. “No matter what you’re faced with, you can bounce back – but you have to choose to be optimistic. It’s a choice every single one of us makes.
“In the coming weeks and months, there will certainly be those who lose their jobs and businesses experiencing severe financial stress. There will be those who pick themselves up and say ‘let’s start again.’ But there will be others who blame the world for their woes.
“It’s not easy, but optimism gives you something to hold on to and the confidence that you’ll get through. It’s about looking to the future and not giving up.
“By having an optimistic outlook, you can keep your spirits high, stay positive, innovate, adapt and do your best.”
Build your resilience
More than ever, resilience is important, Jet said.
“Resilience is the ability to keep pushing forward, regardless of what else is going on,” he explained. “There are no guarantees about the outcome and there are no assurances that everything will be perfect. But resilience allows us to keep going.”
Jet pointed to Turia Pitt, who in 2011 suffered burns to 65 per cent of her body when a grassfire swept through the path of the ultra-marathon she was running. She spent five months in hospital and wasn’t expected to survive. Earlier this year, she gave birth to her second child.
“When asked how she keeps on going, Turia said ‘there’s a piece inside me that the fire didn’t get to,’” Jet said. “Right now, we all need to be looking for that piece. You have to tap into that part of yourself. You can tell yourself you can’t do it, or you can move forward.
“What story are you telling yourself right now? Is it one of resilience and overcoming? Or is it something else? You have to be prepared to change the stories you tell yourself in order to build resilience.”
What’s your mindset?
“Now, as an industry, we need to ensure we have the right mindset,” Jet said. “We can do this with perspective, optimism and resilience, creating an energy that pushes us forward as individuals and as an industry.
“Unfortunately, it won’t change how things pan out for some. There will still be those who lose jobs and suffer financial hardship, and there will be others who lose their businesses.
“But it’s your mindset that will get you through.
“As Nelson Mandela said: ‘Don’t judge me by my successes. Judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.’”
Click here for more information on Jet Xavier.
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