How to take time off (without losing momentum)

Andrew Duncan

22 Dec 2025 — 8 min read

You've made it to the end of the year. And you're still here. That counts for a lot.

For many of you, this market has been a crazy ride, with every win punctuated by moments of frustration, stress and multiple let-downs.

Now is the time to let it all go. To stop and take a few days off. Ideally, a few weeks!

Invest in your own mental health. Invest in your most important relationships. Show those closest to you that they come first.

"Wait... did you just say 'time off'? What's that?"

We all know it can be incredibly challenging to take holidays in this business. And the busier you get, the harder it becomes.

Part of the challenge is that real estate is a momentum game. Work creates work, and it's natural to have that internal fear subconsciously warning us that if we take our foot off the gas, our business will suffer.

Real estate sales fits into that job/business nether-region where we essentially own a business, but our position is more 'sole-trader' which gives you all the risk of being a small business owner, with none of the benefits of being an employee (time off, sick days).

First one in, last one out

Here's something I've noticed about successful real estate professionals: They tend to wear their work ethic like a coat of armour. Ever-willing to outwork the competition and put in the long hours required to succeed.

The beautiful thing about that work ethic is that it near guarantees success. Work hard enough, treat people the right way and employ smart marketing and you'll make it in this business.

The problem is, it comes at a price.

On the one hand, success leads to more success, which leads to longer hours, which can eventually lead to burnout.

On the other hand, long hours lead to more time away from home, which can put pressure on our most important relationships.

Either way, when our incomes go up, so do our work commitments, and there are only a finite number of hours in the day - so something else has to give. Inevitably, it's time with our loved ones and time investing in our personal health that get sacrificed on the altar of success.

It's important to note, there are periods in our careers when it makes sense to go all-in and work the long hours. Like year one, when you are getting your business off the ground, or for short windows during busy periods in your local market, like Spring and Summer.

The challenge is being able to ease back at other times. Freeing up headspace to invest in meaningful connections and personal health without losing valuable momentum in your business.

What does sustainable success look like?

Everyone needs a break at some point. And taking time off can actually help your business. It's when we step out of the day-to-day run-around that we find clarity. I don't know about you, but I often come up with my biggest insights or marketing ideas while sitting in the sun, hanging out on a beach somewhere.

But more importantly, taking time off allows you to invest in the relationships that make your success worth fighting for. Friends, kids, partners, family. They all deserve opportunities to have our undivided attention, to be reminded that we do it for them, and that they are the biggest priorities in our lives.

Taking time off is a skill

Call it 'the art of switching off'. It takes practice, repetition.

It's damn tough at the easiest of times! Our phones tie us to our work-life, and they never stop.

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If you don't set boundaries, no one else will.

If you don't prioritise your physical and mental health, no one else will do it for you.

Not only that, those closest to you can tell when you're 'off duty' but not really present. They can sense when your mind is elsewhere.

The challenge is, to effectively take time off, you have to actually give yourself permission to switch off and take a break.

Where to begin

If you have a partner in your life, start by talking to them. Do they have an adventure in mind that they would like to embark on this holiday break?

What would their ideal holiday / work balance look like? You could even brainstorm ideas together. For example:

Batching your phone calls and emails into set times during the day while on holiday (9 - 10am) and turning your devices off at other times.
Change your voicemail message and set up an 'out of office' email so clients know when they can expect to hear back from you.
Finding adventures that engage you mentally and take your mind off work, like mountain biking, tramping, fishing, water-skiing, or exploring new places.
Getting out of town. For many of us, it's easier to relax if we get out of our usual environment and well away from the office.
Limit social interaction if needed. Obviously, we want to see lots of our family and loved ones during the Christmas break. But to fully switch off, you might need to avoid too many social situations where you'll end up talking shop for hours on end.

Next step: Talk to your kids to find out what is important to them this holiday season. How would they like to spend family time together? How do they feel about your work/life balance?

Turn your phone off

No matter what, the number one thing you can do to be more present during family/holiday time is to turn your phone off.

I know for many of you this will feel like a completely foreign idea, but consider this:

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Being fully present is the greatest compliment you can give to any person you are spending time with.

And to be fully present, you need to have no distractions.

Set aside time to check your messages at a certain point each day while on holiday, i.e. 10am and 4pm. Your clients will understand. If you are returning messages on the same day at this time of year - that guarantees a high level of service.

Our families have put up with all the long hours, late phone calls and forever-on-duty work life all year. Now is the time to pay them back with our full and undivided attention.

Just book it

If you've had a hard year and don't feel super successful, try not to let that mindset influence your quality time this holiday.

If you have the capacity, then don't hold back on experiences or adventures. Go on the jet boat, stay in that nice Airbnb, take your spouse out for dinner at the restaurant they love.

Life is for living. Even if you've had a hard year, you deserve to enjoy your holiday.

If you are working through

I understand that many of you will be on-call this holiday, or at least handling a few duty times in your office, and I commend you for that. The Christmas / New Year break can be a time of serious opportunity.

My biggest tip is to be smart about setting appointments that fit around your personal / family time.

Use the tips in this guide to proactively set appointment times that fit your schedule:

Use the scripts in this guide to qualify buyers and make sure you aren't wasting your valuable time!

And remember - sometimes it's ok to say no.

Work on your business

One last tip: The holiday season is possibly the very best time to work on your business.

This might sound like it's conflicting with everything you've just read, but the thing is: Working on your business is different from working in your business.

Make time to take stock, reflect on what's working, what's not, and what you should do differently in 2026.

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Set aside 2-4 hours during your holiday for a full business review.

This could be something you complete by yourself, or with a trusted friend or spouse. Booking time for this review helps you relax during the rest of your holiday, knowing that the time for planning has been set aside.

Start by understanding where your business is coming from and which of your prospecting activities are producing the best results. Armed with this key info, you can focus your efforts to generate as many listings as possible with the limited prospecting time you have available each week. In other words, you can focus on the tasks which give you the highest income return.

Here are two guides that will help you make the most of your business review session: