Domain investing is a 24/7 industry, with deals being made around the clock in many different time zones. With the attraction of making vast amounts of money, we can easily spend all our free time in front of a screen. If you're struggling to think clearly about your investments or your strategy and you're struggling to "switch off", then perhaps you're suffering from digital burnout.
Digital burnout is a fairly new phenomenon that can affect anyone using digital devices for most of the day. It comes with symptoms of decreased physical energy, an inability to focus or concentrate and a loss of motivation. As domain investors, we rely on mental sharpness to manage our investments and make decisions for the future. Working long hours when you aren't performing at your best can really impact your investment activity in the long term.
If you are struggling with domain investing in any way, it could be a good time to step back for a week or so, to just re-gather your thoughts, so that you can look at your investments with a fresh mind and a new perspective. Here are some tips for you if you're planning to take a break:
Emails
As a domainer, the majority of your contact will be done via email. If you're going to take a break, then restricting access to your email account is a must. Before your break, set up an auto responder for your inbox, so that anyone who tries to contact you within that time will know not to expect a response from you. Adding a contact number for important matters could be an option, depending on your own preferences.
All email services should give you the option to set an auto responder. Gmail is the most popular email service, so to set up your auto responder in Gmail, go to your "Settings" tab and in the "General" tab, scroll down to "Vacation responder". Here, you can turn on your auto response message and set many other options.
Scheduled Emails
If emails have to be sent within your break time, consider sending them now using a scheduling software. This situation may occur if you need to send reminders on specific dates, for example. If you're a Gmail user, Boomerang is a very good option here.
The Boomerang plugin will allow you to draft emails now to send at a specific time without needing to log in and send those emails.
Skype & IMs
Many of us use Skype to speak with other investors, brokers and friends all over the world, so if you're planning a break from domaining, make sure to tell anyone on your Skype list that may try to contact you within that time.
I, for example, have a lot of Chinese contacts who I speak to fairly regularly, so I would notify these people a day or two in advance to make sure that they know I'm away. Unfortunately, as far as I can see, Skype doesn't have an auto responder.
Expired Domains
Most domain investors that I know check drop lists on a daily basis to find new names to acquire. This is often the most reliable way to find new names to sell, so if flipping domains is a large part of your income, it's important to continue checking lists on a regular basis.
Fortunately, free services like ExpiredDomains.net allow you to view auction lists for a number of days in advance. Pending delete domains, for example, are available to view for five days. If you're taking a break from domain investing for a few days, but still want to buy some domains, then consider checking the auction lists for a number of days in advance, and place your maximum bids.
If you're taking time off to re-evaluate your domaining strategy, then perhaps this isn't the best thing to do. When you return from your break, you should have a clearer idea of the areas within domain investing that you want to concentrate on.
Expiring Domains
Check your portfolio for expiring domain names. If any are set to expire during the time that you're scheduled to be away from your digital life, then renew them before you go to ensure that there's no chance of losing these names, or having to pay a higher fee to retrieve them.
Managing Your Websites
Many investors monetise their domain names by developing websites and producing content. If you are a domainer that writes content for a blog or a website that you run, then consider writing your content before going offline, and using a scheduling plugin to publish your posts at a specific time.
Your Phone
Most of us cannot be without or phones or tablets for long. Checking emails and social media has become part of the routine for many people, so if you're imposing a digital detox on yourself, you may want to consider turning your phone off completely.
If this isn't an option, try temporarily deleting the apps that use up most of your time, such as Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Stopping visiting domain related blogs, forums and social media accounts can help you to think more clearly, too, so that when you're back, you're completely replenished with new ideas and enthusiasm to help your domaining career.
Digital burnout is a fairly new phenomenon that can affect anyone using digital devices for most of the day. It comes with symptoms of decreased physical energy, an inability to focus or concentrate and a loss of motivation. As domain investors, we rely on mental sharpness to manage our investments and make decisions for the future. Working long hours when you aren't performing at your best can really impact your investment activity in the long term.
If you are struggling with domain investing in any way, it could be a good time to step back for a week or so, to just re-gather your thoughts, so that you can look at your investments with a fresh mind and a new perspective. Here are some tips for you if you're planning to take a break:
Emails
As a domainer, the majority of your contact will be done via email. If you're going to take a break, then restricting access to your email account is a must. Before your break, set up an auto responder for your inbox, so that anyone who tries to contact you within that time will know not to expect a response from you. Adding a contact number for important matters could be an option, depending on your own preferences.
All email services should give you the option to set an auto responder. Gmail is the most popular email service, so to set up your auto responder in Gmail, go to your "Settings" tab and in the "General" tab, scroll down to "Vacation responder". Here, you can turn on your auto response message and set many other options.
Scheduled Emails
If emails have to be sent within your break time, consider sending them now using a scheduling software. This situation may occur if you need to send reminders on specific dates, for example. If you're a Gmail user, Boomerang is a very good option here.
The Boomerang plugin will allow you to draft emails now to send at a specific time without needing to log in and send those emails.
Skype & IMs
Many of us use Skype to speak with other investors, brokers and friends all over the world, so if you're planning a break from domaining, make sure to tell anyone on your Skype list that may try to contact you within that time.
I, for example, have a lot of Chinese contacts who I speak to fairly regularly, so I would notify these people a day or two in advance to make sure that they know I'm away. Unfortunately, as far as I can see, Skype doesn't have an auto responder.
Expired Domains
Most domain investors that I know check drop lists on a daily basis to find new names to acquire. This is often the most reliable way to find new names to sell, so if flipping domains is a large part of your income, it's important to continue checking lists on a regular basis.
Fortunately, free services like ExpiredDomains.net allow you to view auction lists for a number of days in advance. Pending delete domains, for example, are available to view for five days. If you're taking a break from domain investing for a few days, but still want to buy some domains, then consider checking the auction lists for a number of days in advance, and place your maximum bids.
If you're taking time off to re-evaluate your domaining strategy, then perhaps this isn't the best thing to do. When you return from your break, you should have a clearer idea of the areas within domain investing that you want to concentrate on.
Expiring Domains
Check your portfolio for expiring domain names. If any are set to expire during the time that you're scheduled to be away from your digital life, then renew them before you go to ensure that there's no chance of losing these names, or having to pay a higher fee to retrieve them.
Managing Your Websites
Many investors monetise their domain names by developing websites and producing content. If you are a domainer that writes content for a blog or a website that you run, then consider writing your content before going offline, and using a scheduling plugin to publish your posts at a specific time.
Your Phone
Most of us cannot be without or phones or tablets for long. Checking emails and social media has become part of the routine for many people, so if you're imposing a digital detox on yourself, you may want to consider turning your phone off completely.
If this isn't an option, try temporarily deleting the apps that use up most of your time, such as Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Stopping visiting domain related blogs, forums and social media accounts can help you to think more clearly, too, so that when you're back, you're completely replenished with new ideas and enthusiasm to help your domaining career.
