Today I got a call from a good friend and respected colleague, Jon Wade, who lives in one of my favorite towns in the world, Steamboat Springs, Colorado. We were catching up on family, friends and business as he is in the real estate business as a broker as well. Much of our discussion always migrates naturally to how blessed we both are to live in places where people aspire to vacation and live someday. The open spaces, healthy lifestyle, small town feel and majestic natural settings are elements which we, and anyone who visits, revel in each day. The magical draw of these elements has been elevated during times of social distancing and self-quarantine as we are lucky to comply with all these measures for our the security of our families and communities, but also get to ride in the wilderness, hike, experience the power and perspective which only something as grand as mother nature can provide. As we both patted each other on the backs for being so blessed our dialogue turned to business and how we were adapting.
The forced changes that Covid-19 has brought to our lives are disruptive, challenging and it is difficult not to long for the routines, comfort and systems which defined our day to day operations prior to this pandemic. That being said; and with the utmost reverence to those who have lost loved ones, are battling with their own health, or who are living with the very real financial implications of the fallout; there are positive lessons to learn from this that we should all embrace and carry into our new, post Covid-19 lives.
As my grandmother always said, This Too Shall Pass… the question for us and what my dialogue with my colleague got me thinking about is.. WHAT THEN?? Do we really want to get back to our old lives, old routines, old patterns? While the notion of a Digital Nomad is common lexicon for a generation of millennials who have mastered the art of working remotely and embracing the freedom which technology provides, I have always been intimidated by the concept of not going to the office each day and still feeling like I can lead my business, service my clients and grow. What I have found during this path month is that my productive, interaction with my team has grown. By eliminating the routines from our normal office setting, we have all been forced to engage in webinars, zoom calls, new chat groups, information exchange and peer review in manners which we never used in the past. While I miss my teams smiling faces, we are interacting in new and in many ways, MORE productive fashions which will definitely become part of our future.
As a real estate broker in a destination market, some of the most common comments I get from clients is that they are just looking now but want to invest, “when they can retire, when the kids get older, once I can slow down with my work responsibilities” or some other nuance of “I’ll start living my dream later when I have more time”. If my eyes have been opened to anything during this time, other than how blessed I am to have the family I do, it is that many of us can work from anywhere in the world. Of course there are jobs which don’t translate into the digital world, but there are MANY of us who just have refused to try. We have all been exposed to just how fragile our lives, economy, health, social fabric and routines are during these times. Ask yourself where do you want to be the next time something like this happens, the lifestyle you want to be living, where you want to be with your family and loved ones… Then, ask yourself why that move can’t happen NOW. While some will have a very valid reason, MANY will realize that the ONLY reason you are waiting is fear of breaking your old routines and not being able to continue productivity professionally outside of your “box”.
As my friend Jon almost passively mentioned about approaching 200,000 vertical of skinning and skiing this year, cherishing new adventures with his son and daughter as they race towards their futures in college and life…. And I retorted with my mountain bike rides through the rainforest, runs to breathtaking waterfalls, private beaches and amazing wildlife…we both realized that far too many reading this post aren’t living the same Covid-19 experience as we do in different by similar destinations. Nature, community, family, healthy living… and we are not retired, independently wealthy trust funders. We are dads, working guys building a business in a place and lifestyle we love. If you are stuck somewhere you don’t love, embrace this new digital and forced quarantine era and ask yourself why aren’t you doing the same thing from somewhere you WANT to be stuck.
Education, supply chains, finance, communications are all so easy and I can feel as close to colleagues in Paris and San Francisco as I am with fellow realtors who live a kilometer from me. (that’s about 0.6 miles for mis amigos from the USA). So.. what are YOU waiting for? If you need me or our services, you can find me online right after I get back from a ride in the forest tomorrow.