On Oct. 20, 2021 I wondered on Twitter if I should take a break from domain name acquisitions for a week. Four days later, I announced that the domain name acquisition break was on.
I actually made it a couple of days more than the 30 that was my goal, but the acquisition break is now over. Here are my thoughts on the experience.
How It Worked
For me it was pretty simple. I stopped searching for hand registrations, browsing the liquidation stream, looking at names for sale on NamePros, reading the suggestions from the expiring auctions lists.
I did allow myself to renew names I already owned. I also allowed myself to transfer names I already had between registrars.
What Are The Advantages?
Here are the advantages I see.
- If you find your portfolio is growing faster than you want, it helps to put a brake on for a period.
- If you find yourself becoming addicted to domain name opportunities, it helps get control.
- For me, an important advantage was it allowed me to deal with names I already had. I got a fair amount of my backlog of names actually listed on marketplaces, and made improvements in my portfolio record keeping.
- It helps in overall life balance. There is a world outside domain names!
A Few Suggestions
If you are considering your own acquisition break, here are a few suggestions.
- Perhaps most important, set a clear path by determining when the break will end, and what is allowed and not allowed. I made clear I would renew and do transfer/renewals, but not add in any way domain names I did not already have.
- Don’t tempt yourself. By that I mean don’t keep searching if hand registrations are available, or the expired lists, or liquidations, or the aftermarket. It makes it too easy to see something you must have. I broke this rule a few times when I checked an idea that had popped in my head, but for the most part did not search for names during the 31 days.
- Be reasonable in the goal. For me, I thought 30 days was about right, but maybe for you it is 7 days or 60 days. I did a 45 day break once a couple of years ago. After the first 5 or 10 days, it becomes easier to stay on the break, since new habits are forming.
- Tell someone. By announcing my acquisition on Twitter, it helped me meet the 30 days, even though a couple of times I had ideas that I really wanted to act on.
Some time ago I wrote a NamePros Blog article on the topic of breaks from domain names, not just acquisition breaks. Is it time for you to consider a break?
