The state of the world and the fear of the unknown can make it really difficult to find peace in our lives and sometimes, it’s even hard to find the motivation to get simple, daily tasks done.

Although we are in unprecedented times, it’s important to reflect and think about how we can work towards moving ourselves forward.

We decided to look for insight from our agents and sat down with them (virtually of course) to discover what they’re doing to stay motivated at this time.

We hope that their pieces of wisdom can help you stay motivated as well.

[Left to right: Janis MacDougall, Barbara Kless, Karen Dubin, Daniel Gangbar]

1. What is driving your productivity and motivation while working from home?

Karen: I am driven by inspiration from our weekly team meetings, from industry news like Developers & Chains, and from support, mentoring and encouragement from Avi, Greg and my other amazing partners like Jay, Lawrence, Rami, Daniel, Rob & Kelly. I am so grateful to have such an amazing team who believes in me and doesn’t mind teaching me this business!

Barbara: Talking with people and virtual meetings daily are strong motivating factors to my days. Listening to what others are doing or going through helps me identify any areas that I need to focus on. It’s easy to get bogged down with emails and then the day is over with nothing is accomplished. One call can change my mindset to being more positive or can have the opposite effect and turn negative. Then it’s a matter of understanding why, taking a step back and re-evaluating. Always learning new practices and doing webinars to further my knowledge and education.

Janis: I am motivated by my family. We are a take charge group that sets goals for the future. One of our focus goals is since we’ve been in lock down and can’t travel, our family is put money aside each month toward a major trip to Europe and travel for at least one month.

Daniel: As the second lockdown has trekked along like boots sticking in mud, it has made the challenge of dealing with and working from the home front a little harder at times. I’m like anyone else and sometimes stuff is hard. So what drives me is to continue on and stay motivated by making sure I look after myself – having some coffee in the morning is a good start plus keeping a healthy diet works well too. The coffee time gives me the time to focus on the small minuet things which I am thankful for and remember this too shall pass. Afterwards I start to go through what is on the docket for the day. I review my tasks and prioritize them as needed. Some days require a shift of plans so I’m always mindful that it’s ok if things don’t go the way I intend. Sometimes it’s ok to flow with it. This reminds me, that staying in the moment is good for me. I don’t like to ‘get out over my skis’! The goal is to avoid or minimize being overwhelmed by everything going on around me.

2. What tips can you share?

Karen: I have downloaded apps that deliver motivating quotes to me throughout my day. I also have some of my favourite quotes embedded into my calendar to pop up every couple of weeks. I love those gentle reminders that anything is possible!

Barbara: Always reach out to other agents and people in the industry that you would like to meet. Also, do not think that you’re alone, someone else on our team has already been through the same scenario and can provide some good sound advice and feedback.

Janis: The biggest tip is to go for walks and stay busy. This is not always easy with lock down but my husband and I try to take a long walk at least every other day to talk and get some fresh air. We also make of projects such as rearranged out living room, clean the rec room, painted a number of rooms, and when this is not enough we go for a drive.

Daniel: Well, to elaborate a bit more on staying in the moment, I make a conscious effort to make time for me. Whatever is going on I try to break free for myself. Reading an article or listening to sports talk radio and making sure I get on the bike to work out is key. The Peloton gives me the options to bike, take strength, stretch and yoga classes, so I take them as I need. Then I rinse and repeat as often as I can, right now I’m on day 68 and have no intention of stopping. I just adjust as my body tells me. For me, being physical is key and knowing the time is counting down to that activity is really important right now. Soon skiing for a few weeks and one day golfing will help too.

3. What do you do during your day to keep them on task/track?

Karen: I dedicate a good chunk of my time in the mornings to meditate, exercise and journal. When my mornings start off well, I find it is easier to stay focused during the rest of the day. I also have post it notes on my wall to remind me of larger imminent deadlines, I keep emails that I need to attend to marked unread and I have a sheet of paper that I use as a daily to-do list. That all being said, I find it challenging to stay on track every single day; some days are better than others.

Barbara: I stay focused and on track most of the time by setting agendas and to do lists daily.

Janis: I am an old fashion person when it comes to keeping track of things to do in a day. I make lists for everything at the end of every day.

Daniel: I try to plan out my work time and personal time in block windows. I try and stay positive, share pain when needed and move on quickly.