Try telling my wife that!!! It doesn't matter how little I access the email on vacation I'm always the bad guy.  I try to explain its how we live the lifestyle we do but she would rather be poor I guess than have me check my email on vacation and do any damage control while away from the office.

All great points. But even with those vacations are still hard. There are deals that come up and need attention. Clients who will be lost if you turn them over to someone else. It's just tough.

David - Timely post.  Before I began blogging, I tried not to do too much while on vacation.  Now, it's a matter of blending the time.  Since I'm a single gal it's not as difficult for me.  But, I can imagine that it must be troublesome for folks with spouses and families.

I'm ashamed to say ....we haven't been on a vacation in 3 yrs. On second thought...we are there already. We are actually having a vacation from August 1-5 (no office and completely off) and guess where we're going?  Right here in our own home.

Yes it is a tough balance for us since we own the business we are thinking about it 24x7.  I have tried to find that balance and do the things you suggest like working early and late and that seems to do the trick.  Basically it is laying the ground rules of what is acceptable working time so everyone knows up front what to expect.  But in the scheme of things family always comes first.

Eric, oops!  Sounds like she may need a little more attention while you're not on vacation!  :-)  When my wife starts reacting like that, I know it's a red flag that I'm not paying enough attention to her needs.  There's a really great book called, "The Five Love Languages", by Dr. Gary Chapman that helps each of us understand what the primary and secondary love languages are for each other.  I just wish I had had the book earlier in my life.  It's a really good book!  Anyway, I'm sure you were just poking a little fun at this, but someone else out there may need it.  Thanks for sharing and giving me an opportunity to respond!

Bob & Carolin, yeah that is true.  However, we can't beat ourselves up, we still need the time away and the enjoyment for balance.  But you are right, it is very tough!  Thanks for commenting!

Marlene, not sure how to respond to this one, but balance is important and learning it takes a lifetime!  Enjoy every moment of it!  Thanks for sharing!

Sally, even in the wonderful state of Hawaii, you still need to get away from the work side of things.  You just have an advantage of not having to go very far to have all the beauties God has provided!  Enjoy a moment for me!  Have a GREAT vacation!!

Linda, absolutely right, laying the ground rules is so important!  And as you have said, Family always comes first! Thanks for sharing!

Taking a vacation is very important in this industry, but for some reason your clients always manage to track you down. Whether its by cell phone or by email. I find it almost impossible to travel longer than a weekend without taking a laptop with me so I can stay up on my emails and be in the know of what is going on in the office.

I was skiing in vail and my client called me while on a chair lift and I felt like saying "Please, tell me how i can possibly be of any assistance to you from where I am right now and how I can fix any problem you might be having from a chair lift" It isnt that I dont have good help working on your files while you are gone, but when you have a customer relationship - you are the reason the business is there! I just cant seem to allow myself to neglect that. 

Sherry, yea, but sometimes you just need to let the answering service answer the call.  Either that or take a photo on the lift and send it to your client so they know you are REALLY out of the office! Remember, you have to have a life as well!  Enjoy the time you have, you never know when it will end!  Thanks for sharing!

David, great post and great reminders, but at the same time hard to do. 

David,

My family and I love Disneyland.  We got annual passes just so we can sneak away for a weekend a month.  I have found that no matter what, I seem to never be fully on vacation mode.  My phone rings, it's a client.  I get an email, it's a client.  I get a text message, it's a client.  Now although I fully believe I can do without my laptop, I bring it anyways.  Just so that I can handle business when in the hotel room.  But in the parks, I have my trusty Treo.  One trip, I was able to submit an offer right before leaving for the airport.  I got the counter offer the next day via eFax as a PDF file.  I reviewed the counter on Docs2Go.  Called my client and forwarded the counter offer to her.  She signed it, faxed it back to me and I then forwarded it to the listing agent all from my Treo and all while standing in line for Splash Mountain!  It was great.  I agree with you, we can't break free from the tether between our office and our brains but the laptop/notebook isn't our only option!

Vacation? It is a luxury I could not afford for a long time. Even going out of town for few days will be extremely complicated for me. Let's face it! We can't take vacations...

Gary, awful hard, but I think that comes from our passion and our commitment to be the best for our clients.  Even so, I believe our clients will understand if we communicate well enough for them to understand our need.  Thanks for posting your comments! 

Arina, I sure hope you are able to take a vacation.  It is difficult, but it can be attained.  Thanks for commenting! 

Chris, sounds like you found a very convenient way to go on vacation and still do business.  You must have very good eyesight, because when I look at my treo the print is pretty small.  I never thought about trying to zoom on it though.  That might be an option.  Thanks for sharing your tip!