My husband Jamie took off work for two solid weeks over the holiday, but even then, today he shared a rather startling revelation with me: He still lost 60 hours of vacation time in 2010. I was in the middle of creating a weekly schedule for myself in order to practice time blocking in 2011, and I had asked him about vacations, suggesting we schedule time off together- early and often. We’ve got kids in college and young critters at home, so a tight budget and an undisciplined puppy mean we won’t be taking any two week trips to Paris but still, we could easily schedule a morning off on that day, an overnight trip to Indy or Columbus this day, a day trip to watch the ponies run in Kentucky on yet another day. It would be fun just to try to use up 60 hours and not really go anywhere at all.
We had 7 major family celebrations since Thanksgiving. Add a handful of office parties and friends gathering together, and dammit I’m looking forward to Monday. Our obligations to other people pushed hard into our relaxation time this holiday and we all have a bit of holiday fatigue which is really unfair to those people we love, but also it is not a healthy way to begin the trek through the long winter months.
So as I was working out a weekly schedule for real estate related tasks, it occurred to me that I have no option but to combat fatigue of any sort by scheduling some goof off time. The whole reason for creating a schedule is to help me to meet goals and some of my goals are personal. I want to paint again. I want to spend time with my husband and my friends, nurturing some relationships that have gotten a bit weedy lately. I want to poke around some boutiques that I pass by on a regular basis and try out some new coffee shops. In other words, I want guilt-free time that is mine alone to decide how to use and likely the only way to do that is, ironically, to schedule it into my calendar. Surely I’m not the only one who struggles with this, although today it occurred to me that I probably just need to get over myself. Geez. The world turns without me- so go ahead Lussier, take a day off.
I’m not talking about time for church or the gym or to coach the kid’s soccer team, those seem to be obligatory to most of us. I’m talking about time set aside for yourself for nothing in particular. I know you pros who have been in real estate for years can probably attest to benefits of scheduling time off and vacation time. I was hoping you would share some of the things you do- the big and small things- that help you recharge your batteries on a regular basis. Do you only return calls during certain hours? Do you schedule a weekly date night? I’m wondering, how do you maintain your balance?
Jeff Brown says:
It used to be umpiring, but real life made that almost impossible. I love to head up the 5 a half hour to have lunch with my 81 year old fighter pilot uncle. He’s one of the wisest people I know personally, and a father figure as well.
Think this year I’m gonna try learning some new/old dance skills. It gets me out in the world, which I definitely need to do more of. Yesterday I walked around the lake then had breakfast, both with my daughter. It’s a mini-vacation for the spirit.
I also plan to make use of the SUV I acquired last spring for a return to overnight/weekend camping/hiking jaunts. Then there’ll be the quick, I need a sanity break jailbreaks to various 1-2 day trips to…who knows where.
There’ll be more, but I can guarantee you 2011 will have more ‘vacation’ time by at least an order of magnitude than did 2010, which had roughly 3-4 days.
Happy New Year!
January 2, 2011 — 9:56 am
John Herrigel says:
I may not be a mega agent here in Maine, but I find myself quickly maxed out every week and the best system I have found to keep organized/free time for myself is a simple weekly block schedule I created in excel that I print out each week and hand fill in with a pencil! I would be happy to send it to anybody if they want to reach out anytime. Happy New Year!
January 3, 2011 — 6:09 am
Dan Connolly says:
Generally I do everything I can not to schedule appointments in the morning. Since I am frequently on call 7 days a week, and do a fair amount of showing after normal working hours, I keep the mornings for myself. I try to keep my actual working hours in the 40-45 hr per week range. I will answer the phone and tell people that I will call them later, unless there is some reason why that won’t work.
Also I rarely will take calls after about 7 or so. I think most people who call then are really just expecting to leave a message anyway and are shocked if you answer. Also I think it sends a message of desperation that I don’t want to imply.
We take regular vacations, usually 3-4 days every couple of months. If there is a family event or something , important I just plan it like I would a listing or showing appointment.
January 3, 2011 — 11:55 am
Teri Lussier says:
Jeff-
I love it. Good ideas all- especially dance classes- Whee! 😀
January 3, 2011 — 12:20 pm
Teri Lussier says:
John-
I just created a weekly schedule with tasks time-blocked. I have a great mind for brain-storming because it can shift gears so quickly. One of the things I’ve learned in late 2010 is that it’s more productive for me to quit worrying about staying on task, and instead to focus on quickly getting back to task. My brain will wander and become distracted and that’s not a bad thing in and of itself. It’s only a problem if I don’t recognize when that’s happened, or can’t refocus. So with my time-blocking, I’ve set it up with some built-in wiggle room, and knowing that things happen. It’s not that things happen, it’s how quickly and smoothly I can get back. For me, that’s where the productivity is.
Having said all that, I’d be curious what your schedule looks like. I’d like to know what you are blocking off time to accomplish.
January 3, 2011 — 12:32 pm
Teri Lussier says:
Dan-
>I will answer the phone and tell people that I will call them later, unless there is some reason why that won’t work.
That’s a really great idea. So simple, but accomplishes a lot.
>Also I rarely will take calls after about 7 or so.
Me too. My cell is set to auto-off at 8:30 pm. Although I often end up turning it back on to text my kids. I do think you are right about most people not expecting to do business after 8.
January 3, 2011 — 12:38 pm
Meg Hurtado says:
I think what you’re talking about is something that we’re all struggling with, and it’s one of the most important things to conquer. I know that I’m personally resolving to get my “life” back in 2011 – even if it means sleeping 4-6 hours a night. Because those things that make you light up inside – umpiring, or yoga, or painting – don’t pay the bills, it’s easy to push them aside. But they’re absolutely essential, as anyone who loses sight of them knows.
I think in the end this will be one of the most positive lessons the Great Recession teaches us all – the difference between quantity and quality, and the value of time over the value of money. Let’s hope so, anyway.
January 3, 2011 — 4:32 pm
Jim Klein says:
> …the value of time over the value of money.
Fascinating topic for me. I worked record-setting hours most of my life, but never really minded that part too much. Naturally my family might say it was a stupid approach, but it was also in the manner that allowed me to be closest to them in the way I chose, or at least in the style and surroundings I chose for them. In any event, I never imagined it to be anything except that which I thought to be of maximum value.
I guess that’s one of the advantages of Simpledom—I can only discern value, period. Really, I can’t imagine what else anyone supposes there could be, which is why I’m such a fan of Greg’s “ontological” approach. I never did fully understand the dichotomy between “work” and “life.”
Of course, I’ve also said that one of the advantages of poverty is that it leaves so few options, so maybe I’m not the guy to ask!
January 3, 2011 — 9:45 pm
Greg Swann says:
> I never did fully understand the dichotomy between “work” and “life.”
I was talking with Cathleen about this on New Year’s Day. We were inaugurating the New Year properly — and one of the advantages of being married to me is that my best-beloved gets to talk about philosophy while we are making love — and I remarked that I consider everything I do working, and I consider everything I do having fun. Love-making itself is the most enthralling and most eloquent possible expression of the commitment to living the fully-human life, but I see everything I do as being an expression of that commitment — or I don’t do it. I understand what Teri is saying, and I think it is an admirable acknowledgement of the life of a Realtor. But I expect my take is much closer to Jim’s in the way I actually live.
January 4, 2011 — 7:51 am
Teri Lussier says:
>I can only discern value, period. Really, I can’t imagine what else anyone supposes there could be,
I agree with this. Productivity has value and it’s not always directly related to money. I’m trying to carve out time for those things that bring me happiness/value, but do not directly produce income.
>I think in the end this will be one of the most positive lessons the Great Recession teaches us all
>I’ve also said that one of the advantages of poverty is that it leaves so few options
The difference between poverty and Poverty Chic is the option. 😉
January 4, 2011 — 4:45 am
Jim Klein says:
Oh yeah, Teri’s got it right IMO. I forgot to acknowledge that I thought it was a terrific post.
I think maybe the distinction is this. In all social interaction, and doubly so in any sort of business context, the values of the other party are commanding of our actions. After all, this is the whole point of the Bloodhound approach in RE, and the essence of all true businesses.
But when it comes to play, the other guy’s values don’t have such a role. “Play” in this usage means accomodating our own values exclusively…not necessarily in the absence of others, but in a way that their values are irrelevant to what we do. Not wholly irrelevant, mind you, since many fun activities require others to be present. But irrelevant in the manner that they don’t have an influence on what we ourselves do…we have fun by doing what we enjoy and the degree to which (or even whether) others enjoy the same thing, really doesn’t matter. Obviously, nobody could run a serious business in this manner.
This must explain why in the current environment of insanity, I really haven’t felt much like running any sort of serious business!
January 4, 2011 — 11:39 am
Teri Lussier says:
>In all social interaction, and doubly so in any sort of business context, the values of the other party are commanding of our actions.
>“Play” in this usage means accomodating our own values exclusively…
There it is, exactly. Thanks Jim.
January 4, 2011 — 2:17 pm
Jeff Brown says:
Is play that complicated of a concept? Really? Geez
January 4, 2011 — 2:24 pm
Teri Lussier says:
Break a leg, Bawld Guy! 😀
January 4, 2011 — 2:48 pm
Don Reedy says:
Teri,
I’ve been off the grid, doing almost the same thing as you during the holidays. I was exhausted. So this first day back reading your post calmed me quite a bit since it’s an issue I, too, am dealing with.
Greg and Jim and Jeff all added to my enjoyment, and then Bawd Guy punctuated with his question about “play.”
Oh my how I love you guys. And for the record, I consider most of the time I spend here with you, in your heads and in your hearts, as some of the best play time known to mankind; a place where learning is fun, the games are always a contact sport, and the reflections post post, post play, or in Greg’s case post coitus, are always worth the investment in time.
January 4, 2011 — 4:17 pm
Greg Swann says:
> or in Greg’s case post coitus
Not post. During. It’s actually quite romantic — to me, at least — to explore the theory of Splendor while we are living it in practice. I wrote about that in The Unfallen, a long time ago. That book was my map to Cathleen, so it’s fun for me to actually live it — to love someone who is delighted to let me be who I am even in what might seem to other people to be the oddest of circumstances.
I wrote a novella over the holidays, a Christmas book. Here’ s a piece of it, Uncle Willie talking to a geeky teenage boy:
January 4, 2011 — 10:26 pm
Teri Lussier says:
Happy New Year, Don!
January 4, 2011 — 7:35 pm
Teri Lussier says:
Well. Um. I would say Happy New Year to the Love Shack at 314 East El Caminito Dr, but that appears to be a given. 🙂
I am going to borrow the examples from the story, though. Very well said. Having some of those same conversations in our own household.
January 5, 2011 — 6:53 am