Opinion: LOs, it’s time to refresh your mindset

Well, here we are rounding out another spring and summer market. Kudos to the Loan Officers who have found a way to transition from the refinance boom of 2020 — 2021 and into the purchase market of 2022.

As we begin to finish the third quarter, it is important to take some time to reflect, revamp and refresh our mindset. While we always have the need to be sharp when it comes to our craft, it is also important to be sharp with our emotional well-being as well.

This industry can be draining, and the past few years have surely taken a toll on many of us in the real estate and mortgage industries. Sure, many have seen successes, but for others the transition from a booming market to a slower, more challenging one is another obstacle that will weed the weak from the strong.

How can you find a way to better center yourself mentally during a slower market? Finding the time to focus on ourselves is no doubt a tough feat with the demands of our roles, but below are a few ideas that may be helpful:

1. Find 15-30 minutes a day to listen to a motivation podcast of your choice. Something that will move, inspire, and challenge your mindset.
2. Brush up on your company’s lending guidelines or dive into market conditions and economic data that drives your market. Be ready and armed with the knowledge to share with your referral partners and customer base.
3. Spend some time with family – not just be with them, really be WITH them. Sit down for dinner and talk about the day without electronics, disconnect from work life while connecting with your home life. It is amazing the things you can learn and share with one another when you are present in the moment.
4. Take a few minutes to enjoy what goes on around you. First thing in the morning, avoid the phone and take a quick walk outside. Stand on your porch and breath the fresh air.
5. Yoga and meditation may be a good option to ground yourself. Personally, I cannot seem to find my focus because my mind will not rest, but this is one area I may try to work on.
6. Find a new hobby that you enjoy or pick up an old hobby. Not only does it allow time to decompress from the work stresses, but it can also be a way to generate new business by building new connections.
7. Volunteer within your local community. This is a terrific way to give back to the same areas that have given us so much. Selfless acts can have some of the most meaningful impacts to both us and the neighbors around us.
8. Ask for help. Yes, you read that correctly — ask for help. If you need a day off, ask someone to help in your absence. If the workload is piling up. and you cannot seem to dig out, ask for assistance. I have come to learn that many of us are a bit head strong in this industry but asking for help is not an indication of weakness or failure.

We have battled the changing lending climate over the past few years, now it is time to center ourselves and prepare for what might be next for us in the mortgage space. To the Loan Officers still standing – I salute you. To the Loan Officers that are trying to find ways to dust themselves off – I support you.