Many of us get in to real estate to follow a dream of working with our friends, our family, and other grateful people who will recognize and appreciate our ability to assist them in their transition from one life stage to the next. Of course, the dream also prescribes that we will be paid handsomely for our extraordinary services.

Truthfully, I’ve met very few agents who chose this career out of a burning desire to merely process leads that get caught in their web of lead generation systems. That seems so much like, like, a job — and a lousy soulless job at that. I believe this is why so many of our peers eventually abandon their dreams. After all, if they are going to have a lousy soulless job anyway, they may as well work for someone else who will take all the risk and promise a steady paycheck. On the other hand, if an agent just does what she wants with no regard for whether she can actually get paid for she’s doing, she may also find herself having to give up real estate and get a “real job” to sustain herself and her family.

I suggest you consider a different path: Recognize what you do well right now. Identify those things that you want to do well that you haven’t yet learned to do. Finally, recognize those things you can do, or will be able to do, and get paid for doing. This is your opportunity. Learn to do those things better! If you put this all together visually, you get something very close to Bud Caddell’s brilliant venn diagram you see above.

Consider assessing your own situation in these terms. In the short run, you may need to rely on those things you already do well that you know will provide you with sufficient income to get along. However, the key to your long-term success and happiness in real estate (or any other business) lies in your ability identify and learn to do more of those things you both want to do and you can get paid to do. Clearly defining your “HOORAY!” will help you discover the ideal niche for your business and maybe for your life.