Balance

Balance to me is so crucial. I worked a ton this past Sunday, got a lot done (yes on Sunday yes Sunday Sabbath…as an entrepreneur sometimes you have to work to get ahead). However, I still took time out to make my family Jucy Lucy burgers. I still took time out to compliment my daughter on her attire when she went shopping with my wife last night.

I want to encourage you to find balance even if you are a workaholic. Maybe you are more of a slacker and can’t find the motivation to work. To me, you need to find joy in your work. Find joy in the little things, in the breaks from your work. This morning I turned to my wife and kids and said “Look out the window. It’s a beautiful sunrise. The deep red moving to the light orange contrasting with the dark blue”…it was absolutely amazing. My wife took a picture and posted it to Facebook to share with others to hopefully inspire them. 

If you’re looking for a great resource for balance in your life, then I can think of no better resource than to read the book “Celebrate Life” by my good friend Marcello Pedalino. I’m proud to say that I picked up the very first copy ever. I’ll share a quick sneak peek at the first four chapters of the book for you here and my take on those. 

1. Take care of yourself. Marcello’s known for taking care of himself. He’s an amazing fitness guru and man. Just his shirtless pics alone will inspire you to put down the donut. If you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anything else in your life. Health before wealth.
2. Keep good company. Mark Ferrell’s fond of quoting and saying “You know if you want to learn how to play golf don’t hang out in the pool hall.” Who you hang out with, the company you keep is important. You should never be the smartest person in the room. If you are, you’re in the wrong room. Rub elbows with millionaires and ask the secrets to their success if you want to earn more money. Want to be a better parent? Ask your kids what they need. Better spouse? Do something kind without expectation. 
3. Do what you love. Find your passion and do it. Life is too short to go through the motions, wasting away each day without enjoying it to the fullest and having a zest for each moment. If you are trying to earn a living at something you’re not passionate about (and that’s commendable and sometimes necessary), that’s OK but in my opinion, you are doing a disservice to those that are in that industry that truly LOVE what they do. 
4. Travel. Marcello is known for taking a vacation every single year going down to Costa Rica and taking a one-month vacation. I encourage you to find that time as well. Travel allows you to have a different perspective on the world around you, and lets you bring that back to your business and personal life and become richer for it. Recharge your batteries and gain a deeper appreciation for what you truly have by traveling.

I encourage you to find a balance regardless of what side of the scale you find yourself on, find time for balance in your work and find time for balance in your play. I’m a big fan of work hard and play hard. Make the time to balance both equally.