The summers rolling to a close whether we want to admit it or not. For those whove taken time off to get away on vacation or who unplugged and disappeared into a staycation, a popular question to ask on returning to the office is, "What have I missed?" Realistically, this may not be the best question for real estate professionals to consider first.
Professionals who take a break, however long, always benefit from asking themselves "What have I learned?" before they get sucked into their old routines and before their mellow state disappears into a bulging inbox.
Returning vacationers who skip this question and their response to it, lose an important 5-pronged opportunity for painless improvement. Remember, its not the vacation, but what you do with the benefits of taking a vacation that count:
1. Absence Accentuates
Putting distancereal or virtualbetween you and the daily grind provides you with valuable perspectives on what has really been going on and what really matters to you. While away, you may become aware of time wasters to eliminate, negative forces to neutralize, and positive forces to strengthen when you return. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" to reveal people and things that matter most to you. Sometimes this realization may surprise you. Reflecting on what you learned while absent from work, friends, home, communitywill help you project into the future as you decide where and how to concentrate your energy and efforts. Whether this enhanced awareness leads to small changes or significant shifts, thats part of why getting away to gain perspective is valuable.
2. Subconscious ruminating
Even if you did not consciously give work a thought while on vacation, your subconscious was churning away. Take time to connect with this processing force and learn what you really think about how your life and work have unfolded. If you dread returning to the office, maybe you shouldnt. Asking yourself "What have I learned?" may give rise to the realization that it is time for a change of target client, where you work, how you workor whatever you discover. Perhaps youll decide its time to move to a new home or community. Take the time to reconnect with yourself before the hectic pace of real estate swallows you up again.
3. Revisit Your Dreams
At the start of the year, you had dreams of what could happen for you and those that matter to you this year. Did you set goals and identify "A-tasks" which would trigger goal achievement? Find that list of dreams you intended to act on or make a new list. Launch a fresh start at making your goals a reality. Go forward with purposeyour purpose.
4. Theres No "Back"
We always say "Im going back to"like "back to work"but theres no "back." When you return to the office, virtual or otherwise, things will have changed. They cannot be put back to what they were when you left. We should say, "Im going forward to work" because we are leaping in at a new point in time, not time-traveling backward. Think about this for a moment. Not "back," but "forward to a fresh start." With that in mind, what will you do differently to make the most of this renewal? What will you eliminate or just not restart? Which new people and things will you make time for? Write down the improvements you decide on; that simple action will help make things happen.
5. Thanks All Round
Thank the people who may have helped you get this far. Be thankful you have been able to get away, recharge, and give your brain time to process all that fills your life.
Whether you craved a break to recharge or sought out pure mindless fun, think things through as you transition.
Start by repeating this question to yourself a few times: "What have I learned?" >
If your vacation lies ahead, let these ideas make your up-coming adventure a great get-a-way on all counts.
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