How I Lost Out On $8500 & Why I Don’t Care
A couple of weeks ago, I had the option to stay home on a Sunday. In real estate, we work every weekend, so this is a super rare event. Naturally, I said hell yes and moved on. Of course, the market holds for no one and I started getting calls from agents I know for appointments. “The only day my client is free is on Sunday.” And so began my dilemma.
The thing about being 100% commission is that you can’t make money if you’re not there. You run the risk of losing out when you are not there. I thought about just going in to help this one agent since I know her fairly well, but once I got the next call for a Sunday appointment, I realized this would be never-ending. I was either working or I wasn’t. So, what did I do? I stayed the hell home.
I was okay staying home for a couple of reasons. One: I had already sold 9 homes this month and while selling more homes is great, I absolutely needed a “sick of work” day. Two: My work partner had not sold as many homes as I had at this point in the month so my being out increased his odds. So, I took the day and gave him three appointments that I wouldn’t be there for. In the end, he sold one of the homes which equates to about $8,500 gross if/when they close.
I am 100% fine with this outcome. I got to wake up at my leisure, be home with family, see my mom for the first time in weeks, and just let my brain relax for the first time in weeks. At the end of the day, my goal is to FIRE so I have more time to do what I want. Therefore choosing money over work, when I am more than covered, just seemed stupid to me.
Now I know how much worth I put on a Sunday. Or at least how much that particular Sunday was worth. All in all, pretty awesome to have reached this point. 🙂
Have you had any situations lately where you chose yourself/family/your time over money/your job?
Feature Photo by TOMOKO UJI on Unsplash
A year or so after I retired I turned down a four times my old pay offer. I only thought about it maybe 15 seconds and decided there wasn’t enough money out there to get me to trade this life for my old one. Not the same but kinda sorta similar. You are a smart person with good values, hang on to them and they will serve you well!
Nice! Glad you were able to do that and for the kind words. 🙂 Thanks for reading.
I make this choice every single day. I have to choose both throughout the day but where it used to be: family, then work for 8-10 hours, then family, it’s now very fractured. It might be family time for two hours, work for 2 hours, family for 3 hours, work for 4 hours, family, then work. It’s a toss up every day depending on who needs what and when. If it’s just work that has to be done, then family needs get priority. If it’s my staff waiting on me then they get priority so that I don’t hold up their work.
It works but it’s exhausting to always have to be alert to the next development.
That definitely sounds exhausting. Sounds like you are managing it the best you can though. Fingers crossed for something to ease up soon.