I was just in Vegas speaking at a branch manager conference, and I had the chance to listen to one of my favorite speakers, René Rodriguez. He talks about reframing our beliefs. And it’s exactly what I think many of us need right now.

It’s true today’s housing industry isn’t for the faint of heart, volume levels are still nowhere near where they were last year. If you find yourself saying things like, “This market is terrible,” “I wish the Fed would stop raising rates,” or “If only we could go back to last year,” then I encourage you to take some time and try the exercise below; it can help you reframe your beliefs.

Practice Reframing First, let’s discuss why staying in a negative mindset is so harmful to our well-being and business. When we are constantly in a negative mindset, our energy is low, and we naturally attract others with low negative energy, making it harder to shift over to a positive mindset. Plus, our beliefs and mindset determine our next actions.

Imagine if a potential client or referral partner asks you, “What are your thoughts on today’s market?” If you’re stuck in the mindset of “this market sucks,” a potential client or referral partner will feel the negativity in your answer. It might leave the client second guessing if homeownership is a good idea or the agent might be hesitant to send you business.

The first step to reframing is to take a few deep breaths and ask yourself what you’re grateful for. I find this is the quickest way to return to an open mindset and boost my overall mood. And don’t overthink it; this exercise becomes easier over time. When I first started practicing this, I was surprised by how hard it was to think of three things I was grateful for. Once I took the pressure off myself, I found I was grateful for even the smallest things, like my coffee on a cold morning. I encourage you to write these items down as well. When I’m having a particularly stressful day, I find it encouraging to glance down at my list and realize while this moment might be tough, the day has also had moments of happiness and peace. Once you’ve listed what you’re grateful for, you’ll be more open to the process of reframing. The next step is to become clear on your current beliefs. Maybe it’s, “I’m worried I won’t do enough business to support my family in this market.”

Dig deeper and ask yourself why you believe this. Maybe it’s because activity has slowed, or your referral partners aren’t doing as many deals, which means less referral business.

Next, we must put the work in to know our numbers. How many deals did you do last year? What’s your conversion from application to closing? How much business came from referral partners?

When we are comfortable with these numbers, it becomes clear what we would need to do to reach our goals. For example, say the numbers show you need to bring in 20 more applications a week or five new referral partners to help you achieve your goals. Focusing on how to achieve these specific actions in your business can bring a new outlook.

Daring leaders are not complaining about today’s market. Instead, they have reframed this belief to ask, “Where is the gift in the slowdown? Where is this market asking me to step up and grow so I can better serve my customers and reach my goals?"