I had a recent conversation with a client of mine. I have tremendous respect and admiration for her as a person and business owner. That being said, she provided a teachable moment…

I owe her an hour of coaching and asked her about scheduling some time to do it. Her response was that she would love to except she is working incredibly long and brutal hours to assure that she has a strong year. In other words, her mindset was that in order to kick ass, it meant getting hers kicked! She never said that, but it’s what she’s doing. There seems to often be this prevailing thought among hard workers that hours grinding the stone is the best way to be successful. No, it’s the best way to die too early.

Think about this… If you’re too overwhelmed with work that you can’t invest ONE HOUR on improving yourself, this is the brightest red danger flag. Your problems start with poor planning, improper setting of priorities, time management mishaps, and inability to delegate. It also most often involves you thinking that the only way to get ahead and stay ahead is to be constantly working. If you ever say “I don’t have time for help,” that’s your first clue that you actually need it!

Life balance is one of the top 3 things I’m asked to speak on. As technology escalates, so does the pressure to be “virtual” and “just in time” for everyone. The problem is that your clients don’t expect that. You do.

If you’re pushing yourself to work more than 8 hours a day, you’re doing something wrong. The solution may be dropping baggage that you’ve been unwilling to discard. It might mean saying no to others. It might also mean training others to do the work that you are currently doing and are overqualified for. Take a cue from our financial planner friends. Pay yourself first…in this case not with money but with something more valuable. An investment in your personal development, growth, and skills will more quickly earn you more income and provide you with more discretionary time.

Now doesn’t that sound like more fun?

Copyright 2014 Dan Weedin. All rights reserved

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