How to balance work, life, and adventure!

Over the past two weeks my wife and I have been on a European trip to Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary and it was absolutely amazing. Getting to unplug from the everyday grind of sales life is always much needed after how hard I push on a regular basis. Finding the balance between work and play is critical to sustained success within our industry!

I’m like a drag-race car.

In many ways, my business is like a drag-race car – I push full force for stretches of time and then have to be drug back to the gate to refuel and replenish. Trust me, my wife tells me when it’s time to take a break! Is this the most healthy way of running a business..? Who knows, but it’s what I’ve naturally done over the years! I push extremely hard week in and week out, and every 6 weeks or so I unplug and go on a trip with my wife. I’ve fully subscribed to the work hard, play hard philosophy of business. How do you balance excitement, living, and healthy boundaries within your business?

“If you don’t allow yourself to distance yourself from your work occasionally, you will burn out and lose the fire.”

Unplugging can be one of the most terrifying things to do in a commission-only career field. Many questions arise and many fears will try to creep in when you decide to take time off. “How can I go 2 weeks without running a single appointment?” “Do I need to turn off my leads while I’m gone?” “What if it takes me time to get back in the flow once my trip is done?” “Is it wise to spend all this money on a trip when I could be investing back into my business and marketing?” Most of the hesitations you will have about travel and unplugging will be fears, and most of these fears are not even valid. Chances are, you got into this business for financial freedom and time freedom, and if you’re a slave to your work schedule then you’re missing out on some of the biggest perks this industry has to offer!

Setting boundaries.

You have to be willing to set boundaries and prioritize your life in order to jump out of the rat race. I don’t care what’s normal. I don’t care what other people are doing. I don’t care about working harder than most so I can have freedom to travel more than most. It’s a boundary I’ve set within my business!

In my life, God comes first, then my wife, then my family, and slowly things trickle down from there. If my faith, marriage, and family life are healthy and in order then I know that my business will be healthy because I have my priorities in order. If any of these get out of order, everything will suffer. Getting away with my family is vital to being able to continually grow my business.

Be encouraged, we all started somewhere.

“If you’re feeling behind, don’t stress it! We all started somewhere. Start this process at whatever level you’re at, and over time the quality of your vacations, trips, and experiences will increase along with your business success.”

Agents play a dangerous game called “comparison” all the time, and it is at the core of many failed businesses. Don’t fall into this trap! If you can’t afford to go stay in 5 star resorts, don’t do it because you see me doing it. When I was first getting started, we didn’t have much money but we still found trips within our means that we could take to unwind. Be smart and take control of your own situation. Once a quarter go on a trip with your spouse or your family. If we’re only working to work and aren’t taking advantage of the freedom we have within this industry, then we’re missing the point completely!

Stay the course.

Success is within reach and I believe that if you put in the effort, you can be successful in this industry! If you want more in-depth training, enroll in Retirement Realized Agents Academy where I unpack my entire process from call to close!