Understand the No Boundary Bias of the Internet
There’s a funny thing about people on the internet. We’re hidden behind computer and smart phone screens. To the uninitiated pro web user, the autonomy makes people exhibit lots of interesting behavior.
One of those behaviors I call the no boundary bias. The interwebs are wonderful in how they connect people, but it can be somewhat misleading in how it strips out a lot of context.
Let me give you an example.
If you email someone, it feels immediate and personal, almost. as if your comment has been received straight away.
That’s not the case though. In most cases it takes some time for the receiver to process the email. And it’s not clear what else the receiver may have going on in their working or personal life.
The point is that the internet and all the efficiencies and scale it brings, creates a sense of entitlement and urgency in people. This is a good thing with technology.
However … it takes time to do business with a busy human being, not a machine.
So the point is …
If you work online, don’t feel bad or get stressed out if the human beings contacting you are frustrated with your lack of near immediate response time.
They may be missing the context of what else you got going on or are suffering from the no boundary bias.
Work Hard, Play Harder
I had a great vacation to visit family recently. I made the decision to not fully unplug because quite frankly my business is BOOMING, and I wanted to keep on top of the momentum.
That being said, I backed off the throttle a little bit, did not work on the weekends, and took big chunks out of the day to do fun family stuff.
That’s why we built these kind of businesses. Remember?
So if I ran 3 hours of conference calls with clients around the world, I would spend the next 6 hours enjoying time on the beach, surfing, and just being with those important people I traveled to see.
Transparency Rules
I’ve heard some people say, that if you run a location independent business, don’t tell people if you’re travelling because they’ll think you aren’t serious or committed.
I don’t agree with this at all.
Be open with your clients and customers if you want.
People like doing business with real people that have a real life.
If they know you’re travelling, they might even be more understanding if you’re a little slower than usual.
Working Vacation is an Art Form
Some of my income is totally passive income, so when I go on vacation, it really doesn’t matter.
Other parts of my income are service business based. If I’m not unplugging completely and want to work while traveling, the tips in this article are principles I live by.
Enjoy your next working vacation!
And never forget you built a location independent business so you could take it anywhere.
Also be sure to still take those vacations where you unplug completely!
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