Stress in CRE
Working in commercial real estate can be a stressful line of work. Large sums of money hang in the balance, many people work on commission and at times the difference between a terrible average or incredible year can seem to be based on which way the wind is blowing.

Any thoughts on dealing with stress on a day to day basis or when awaiting a big deal to close?
[{"id": "cubbarp", "text": "Exercise.  Start and end each day sweating balls for an hour.  Or you can just go the alcohol and coke route, which is pretty popular.  Personally, I'd go with excercise.", "replies": [{"id": "cubs81i", "text": "Exercise and alcohol, but probably not at the same time.", "replies": [{"id": "cuespvu", "text": "My wife once asked why i didnt have any broker friends that were in their 40s to 50s...they are either really young or really old.  The answer?  They are all burned out train wrecks or in rehab.", "replies": [{"id": "cui8y4x", "text": "Only option is to build your real estate holdings before you get too old!", "replies": [], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}, {"id": "cue0eto", "text": "Not. Mutually. Exclusive. *Sniffs Aggressively", "replies": [], "depth": 2}, {"id": "cuvkuy4", "text": "Coke should never be an answer to stress.  I know a very successful CRE broker who destroyed his life smoking crack and snorting blow.  He lost damn near everything and did time in prison.\n\nJoin a gym.", "replies": [{"id": "cuwtooz", "text": "you really didn't read the sarcasm in that?  I need to up my game.", "replies": [{"id": "cuwul7c", "text": "No, I got the sarcasm, but it can be a slippery slope when you blow the commission from a big deal on hookers and blow.  Especially if one of those hookers winds up dead.", "replies": [{"id": "cuy3ur5", "text": "Sounds like a good alumni cocktail event story!", "replies": [], "depth": 5}], "depth": 4}], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cubbn1j", "text": "You almost have to not care and trust if you are doing the correct things results will follow.  \n\nI use to pick up zen and the art of poker once a year and read it.  It has nothing to do with real estate but the same stuff applies.  Think strategically and make sure you are doing the correct things, then really what happens after that is largely out of your control.  There is more than a bit of luck in CRE.  \n\nI lost 30k one time because someone fell off a ladder and went into a coma.  Like wtf can you do there besides shake your head and be glad you weren't him at least?\n\n--edit-- I'd assume you know this too, but healthy savings help.  Easier said than done for all of us of course, but if you don't need that next commission really it is easier to get past not getting it.  If you can't make your mortgage because of some random shit you can't help then that is a lot rougher.", "replies": [{"id": "cuea6i1", "text": "I think this is great advice.  I have a salary. Let's say it's low six fugures. But I also get a percentage of our Acqusitions fee on deals. So for a $60m deal we may get $600k and I may get up to 30%. And I have a back end piece. \n\nSome advice :\n1. Like the poster above says at a certain point you have to have a \"I did all I can\" let the chips fall where they may attitude. \n2. Realize that that the failure rate is extremely high!\n3. Even when you are working on a big deal, keep your pipeline up. You don't want to work solely on a big deal for two months have it fall thru and have nothing else in the pipeline. Always as I say be \"swinging away\" the poster above says that their is luck, which is true but hard work, consistent hard work kinda creates its own luck\n4. Don't take your stree out on family (advice I wish I took more)\n5. Exercise keep to a routine. \n6. When under a lot of stress THINK MORE ABOUT EVERYTHING !!! About Emails you are sending, about your response to the guy who just cut you off, to your repose to your wife's question \"what do you want for dinner?\"\n\nAnd last but not least (and advice I wish I had always taken) \n1 live on your salary and bank your bonus!!!!", "replies": [{"id": "cueg5t2", "text": "Good advice all around. Deal actually fell apart at the least moment today. Really sucks, but small comfort knowing that we did all we could and there are other deals in the pipeline. Nothing you can do but dust yourself off and onto the next.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cubekdg", "text": "Drink. Be social. Don't let it bother you. ", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cubu1tj", "text": "Three things that help me. (1)I have a policy that I don't make decisions for other people. It helps keep things in perspective. (2) Exercise and meditation. (3) Stay busy, either with with work or personal tasks. This is my strategy when waiting on a closing.\n\nExperience helps. It is less stressful working multiple smaller deals than one or two large deals.", "replies": [{"id": "cubyp4r", "text": "That last sentence is key. The majority of my income last year came from two really large closings. The stress was miserable. ", "replies": [{"id": "cuc1ps0", "text": "Thanks. Yeah, I've got a year changing deal that is getting closer, but really don't know until the checks clear! Trying not to think about it, since it's not in my control at this point.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cubymzx", "text": "I play video games on my off hours, it helps to keep my mind off work. \n\nIf you're in a relationship, be sure your SO isn't adding to the stress. My husband used to talk about what we should do with the commission check before we even got it. That put a lot of stress on me and there was a lot of disappointment if the deal fell through. Now we pretend like the money doesn't exist unless the check has cleared. ", "replies": [{"id": "cue378l", "text": "I'm the same, I played baseball for a long time so I think that's where most of my superstition is from. I don't talk about the commission until it's sitting in my bank. My very first deal blew up at the 11th hour, it was a great learning experience.", "replies": [{"id": "cuq35x1", "text": "To this day, I still feel like it's pure luck when a deal closes. It doesn't matter how much time or effort I put into it. \n", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}]