Stuck In The Working Remotely Vortex Versus A True Vacation?

The Oxford Dictionary defines a vacation as “an extended period of recreation.” It defines recreation as “activity done for enjoyment when one is not working.” So, strictly speaking, you can’t call it a vacation if you’re doing work.

Summer 2024 is here, my favorite season of the year. It seems like the first half of the year just flew by us so fast! Are you like me and tired of never really taking a good break or more importantly, is your family and friends tired of going on vacation with you because you’re working remotely?

Now be honest, are you taking a vacation this summer and planning to sit on your phone or tablet, texting or emailing while the rest of your family sit by the pool and enjoy the waves crashing on the beach while you were working remotely the whole time? Is that what a vacation for real estate agents is supposed to look like?

If you work remotely, your personal life and work life become intertwined to the point there seems to be no separation at all. Is there something very wrong with our mindset and business set up that can’t allow us to vacation 3 or 4 weeks a year and not have to work remotely?

What would a vacation be like with no mobile devices, no internet connection and cell phone reception completely unplugged and off the real estate grid?

What about to be in the moment and present with the most important people in your life? I need you to believe this is possible and here are some strategies that can make this type of vacation as a real estate agent a reality!!

Let’s break it down and commit to this (including myself).

• Have a business plan with vacation planned for 3-4 weeks a year.
• Have a licensed real estate professional covering your vacation times for you.
• Emails forwarded to a licensed real estate professional who responds to them on your behalf
• Auto Email responder set up explaining you are not available and who to contact if important.
• Voice message on mobile explaining you are not available and who to contact if important.
• Give your mobile device to the agent covering to answer and respond to your calls, texts, voice messages and pages on your behalf.
• Partner with another agent and cover for them and their business for 3-4 weeks a year.
• Choose to unplug and not bring your smart phone, tablet or laptop computers on your vacation and leave them to the covering agent.
• Compensate the covering agent in some way whether it’s a gift, thank you dinner or a referral fee. I believe we all need to show appreciation and feel appreciated.
• Leave detailed notes of all your listings, names, phone numbers, emails, sales, leads, etc. for the covering agent to manage your business better for you.

What happens every time before you are about to go on vacation? We get busy!

What if you planned every 6 weeks to unplug and get away. We could assume that we will get busy every 6 weeks during our year!

If you take a 4-7 day break you still come back and you are still busy, I guarantee it, but refreshed and recharged to crush it. If it is meant to be then it is up to me!

Choose to be on vacation and enjoy it, especially when you are spending your hard-earned money to create those moments, experiences, and memories with the most important people in your life that will last a lifetime. Be present in the moment and really relax and enjoy your time away and reload and re-energize to be able to come back and do amazing things in your business.

Strength and courage,

Wade