Let’s face it, there seems to be an unspoken rule in the mortgage industry that working in this space means working well beyond a typical 40-hour work week. Working early mornings, late nights, and weekends is the norm so that you can get that next deal and always be available to your clients. You may even feel guilty about utilizing your paid time off and when you do take time away, you can’t ever truly disconnect.
However, at a time when employee burnout is high, completely disconnecting from your job from time to time can be conducive to long-term satisfaction in your career. There is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to utilize your hard-earned time off and actually do so without having to worry about work. To make this a reality, though, and not have that nagging guilty feeling, it all comes down to how you prepare for your time off. So, what steps should you be taking prior to taking your PTO to set yourself up for success and make sure you don’t need to check in until you’re back on the clock?
Alert the Masses
One of the easiest ways to prepare your clients and partners for your time out of the office is by giving them advanced notice of the dates you will be away. Providing at least a week’s notice, either by phone or email, to any clients you currently have projects or deals in the works will allow you to discuss and prioritize anything that needs to be taken care of prior to your time out of the office and also figure out what can wait to be addressed until you’re back and develop a plan for that.