People always struggle with working too much or relaxing too much. We hear of this idea called “balance” yet so few people are able to execute on that.
Throughout the years, I’ve over-rotated on both ends. I’ve worked “too much” and have relaxed “too often.” I’ve been searching for that perfect equilibrium and have started to realize what it takes to have balance and how to maximize not just your vacations but also your day to day to maintain your happiness. That’s all that really matters, right, is maintaining your happiness.
On a day to day I focus on 3 categories of things to ensure a well rounded, balanced day. These three things have cultivated energy inside of me because it motivates me to hit on each one in order to have impact in multiple areas of my life.
Three Things
- Moving my personal life forward
- Moving my professional life forward
- Moving others forward
Think about those for a second…
What moves your personal life forward? Maybe it’s your fitness, maybe it’s your personal development, maybe it’s reflecting on where you are or maybe it’s facing your fears head on. Whatever it is, think about the impact you would have on yourself by progressing and developing yourself on a daily basis.
What moves your professional life forward? Maybe it’s reaching out to your audience, maybe it’s creating content, maybe it’s providing value to your clients and future clients, maybe it’s learning something new to further position yourself as the expert. Whatever it is, think about the impact you would have on your business revenue and your clients by progressing and developing your business acumen on a daily basis.
What moves others forward? Maybe it’s connected two people in your world, maybe it’s reaching out to an old friend to see how they’re doing, maybe it’s picking up the trash, holding the door or buying a cup of coffee for a stranger. Whatever it is, think about the impact you would have on others within your community and circles of influence by moving others forward on a daily basis.
Now imagine doing all of those on a daily basis, without fail, without skipping a beat and with intentionality. Can’t you see how every day becomes on filled with happiness and pride? Can’t you see how you will be excited to wake up each and every day? Can’t you see that there’s no excuses to not being able to do this? If you think there is, email me at [email protected], I’d love to hear what it is and see if I can help.
Now that’s on the daily…
What about a weekend get away or a longer trip. How to you actually unplug without unplugging?
In life and in business there are two main categories of thought that are critical to one’s success in whatever they are trying to achieve — it’s the vision and the grind. The vision is big picture, dreaming and goal setting to create your ideal scenario whereas the grind is the daily crap that you must go through consistently to grow and build what you spent time dreaming about.
How I spend my time away from the grind isn’t all unplugged. Granted, I may not be creating videos or calling upon clients or future clients but I am definitely not unplugged. I can’t help it — I think about stuff all the time, don’t we all?
I think about what’s possible, I think about my potential, I think about impacting others, I think about creating a life that is motivating to others. As soon as my mind wakes up, before my eyes open, those things are already running through my head no matter how long I’m on vacation. And in my opinion, that’s OK. It’s OK to me because that’s what makes me happy…
“But David, my wife, my husband, my family, my spouse, my (fill in the blank), hates that I’m always dreaming and thinking about building towards that.”
Well I’m sorry to say it, but get rid of them. Because remember what you’re also doing on a daily basis, you’re moving yourself, your business and others forward aren’t you? On vacation you’re doing the same thing too, you’re just not necessarily grinding, professionally, you’re thinking. If they can’t see that or if they don’t support that, then it’s time to decide, are they holding you back or moving you forward because if your job on a daily basis is to move forward and they are putting on the breaks, you’re limiting your potential.
This past weekend I vacationed in the Hamptons with my family. On one of the days we decided to drive through “Billionaires Row.” This is a street in the Hamptons that has a very high concentration of billionaires. Unless you see these houses and properties yourself, it’s tough to even fathom how impressive they were. Perfectly manicured lawns and hedges, MASSIVE houses, architecturally unique and inspiring.
After the long drive through all these streets, my mind was exhausted. My adrenaline had been so high during that drive that when it was over I was mentally drained. Then I started to think. What separates those people from me? What did they do that I haven’t? The answer was quite simple: They worked harder for longer. Period.
Sure, some may have had financial backing and some may have grown up from nothing. Some may have achieved their wealth faster than others but one thing is true and I think we can all agree that not one of those people live the lives they live from sitting on the couch and pondering what they want to do — they all went out and did it.
Some may think it’s materialistic to want the nice house, the cars the yachts and the overall high life. But I disagree. I don’t think it’s materialistic at all. I think it’s inspiring, I think it’s motivating, I think it’s my duty to accomplish that. Why?
Two reasons:
- Think about the way I look at those lives and how it inspires and motivates me. It causes me to work harder than I would have, help more people that I would have and make more money than I would have. Now I think about when I have that, who do I have the potential to inspire?
- If that’s possible to achieve then the only way in which I won’t achieve it is if I stop trying. Think about that for a second. If I’ve found happiness in moving myself forward, my business forward and others forward on a daily basis and then I stop — where does my happiness go? Will I be satisfied? I don’t know but my gut tells me no. So if all they did to get there was work harder for longer, I think I’m on the right track.
So when you unplug for a weekend, you can leave that trip feeling inspired, motivated and hungry to get after it even harder. Although a drive through a wealthy neighborhood may not seem like work, to me it is because it’s expanding my thinking and showing me what else is out there which allows me to want to work harder and harder and harder.
