The role of energy management in property investing

As a property investor with over twenty years behind me, I have learned that doing well at this asks for more than financial sense. It asks for the ability to keep your energy up, physically and emotionally. The route to a decent portfolio is rarely a straight line, and it involves a good deal of difficulty and a fair number of setbacks. Keeping your energy up is what sustains the drive and the focus you need. Here is what I have learned about protecting it.

The path isn’t a straight line

Success in property investment gets told as a steady climb, and the reality is messier than that. Investors meet market swings, financial obstacles and setbacks nobody saw coming. Getting through that asks for resilience, adaptability and a lot of energy. Many investors do this alone, or alongside a job, which makes the energy question more pressing rather than less.

Physical energy

Physical energy is the foundation of getting anything done. Without it, the ability to manage property, negotiate deals and handle the daily demands drains away quickly.

Exercise

• Yoga. Good for flexibility, strength and mental clarity, and it’s my own preference. It takes the edge off stress and makes the pressure easier to carry.
• CrossFit. For anyone who prefers it hard and fast, a mix of strength work and cardiovascular training. It builds the endurance this work demands.
• Running. My business partner’s preference. A simple way to build stamina, and a mental break that clears the head when things are tight.

Nutrition

A balanced diet of whole foods, lean protein and decent fats keeps energy steady. Going easy on caffeine and sugar avoids the crash that follows them. I eat well on the whole, though I do enjoy my gin and wine and the odd bit of chocolate.

Sleep

Quality sleep is what lets you recover, physically and mentally. A regular routine and a restful room make a real difference to how much you have in the tank.

Emotional energy

Emotional energy matters as much as the physical kind. It’s what fuels motivation, creativity and the ability to handle stress.

Mindfulness and meditation

Mindfulness means staying present and actually engaging with what is in front of you. It takes the heat out of anxiety and makes the ups and downs easier to handle. Regular meditation sharpens focus and gives you a reset when you need one.

Prayer and spiritual practice

For anyone that way inclined, prayer and spiritual practice offer comfort, direction and a sense of purpose, and they hold you steady.

Professional support

• Counsellors and psychologists. Worth going to. They offer insight and ways of coping, and they get at what is underneath rather than the symptom.
• Coaches. A coach brings motivation, accountability and strategies built around you. They keep you focused when your own attention wanders.
• Partners. Partnering means the stress gets shared and you aren’t carrying it alone. It’s why Wendy and I like to partner with other people on some of our projects.

What has worked for me

Over the years I have come to understand what a balanced week does for the work. Yoga and running keep me physically fit and mentally clear, and they take me out of the business for an hour. I use an app called Down Dog for that. Meditation keeps me present and manages the stress properly rather than storing it, and for that I use Mindvalley. Regular sessions with a coach bring motivation and accountability, and keep me on track with what I said I was going to do. Between Wendy and me we currently have three property coaches.

The point

Energy management is the part of property investment nobody puts in the course, and it gets overlooked for that reason. Keeping physical and emotional energy up is what gets you along a path that refuses to run straight. Exercise, food, sleep, mindfulness, meditation, partnership and professional support all feed into it, and together they build the resilience the work asks for. Success for all is within reach, and it’s a good deal more reachable when you aren’t running on empty.

First published by Sara Cromie on LinkedIn. Brought across here so it outlives the feed. Nothing in it is financial advice, and capital is always at risk.