I see a lot of people who are successful at work, but their family is paying the price. 

They aren’t fully present when they’re at home because they are always thinking about work, they can’t put down their phone, or they’re simply too exhausted to give their family their undivided love, joy, and attention. 

It’s not their fault – they are grinding all day long and don’t have the mental bandwidth or capacity to hold space for their loved ones when they finish work. Their family gets the “leftovers” because they are depleted and have nothing left to give. 

The result? 

Married couples slowly turn into roommates…

Kids would rather play on their devices than spend time with their parents…

And growing stress at home which now feels even heavier than their jobs.  

On the flip side, I also see sellers who are wildly successful at home, but struggling at work. They are great partners, parents, and stay healthy and fit, but they aren’t performing at the highest level at work. They lack the passion, drive, and results they have in their personal life. 

So is it possible to be wildly successful at home AND at work simultaneously???

Absolutely…but it takes being intentional in both areas. 

Here are a few of the non-negotiable ways I balance work and family: 

1. I always take 4-5 vacations/year and book them in advance. 

This year I had four weeks that I’ve already blocked off for vacation. Even if you don’t have a ton of disposable income, simply taking time off to hang out with your family in your local town is still invaluable. Spring Break, Summer break, and Winter Break align naturally with the time off your kids get anyway, so that’s where I start. 

Having the vacations on the calendar also allows me to focus and work more efficiently leading up to the vacation, as I don’t want to be thinking about work when I’m off so I make sure to get everything needed done and ensure team coverage while I’m gone. 

2. Put all family activities in your work calendar FIRST

This is a big one! Many people have a family calendar and a work calendar, but the work calendar often gets prioritized. To ensure my work doesn’t get prioritized above my family, I put all family activities into my work calendar first then revolve my work schedule around it. 

This includes things like workouts with my wife, date nights, concerts, 3 day weekend getaways, golf matches for Max, and Luke’s t-ball games. I also make sure to block parent-teacher conferences, open houses, important appointments, or anything that both parents should be present for. Any time I schedule a work event, meeting or trip, I can see if there’s a conflict with family events and family ALWAYS wins out. 

It also gives our family things to look forward to! My wife Sandy and I are huge concert buffs, and in the coming months we’ve already booked tickets to see Duran Duran, Paul Simon, John Fogerty (CCR), Pitbull and Lil John. 

The key is to do fun things you enjoy with those who you love. What you focus on magnifies, and if you always prioritize your family you will bring a happier, healthier version of you to work! 

3. I set boundaries for work hours. 

“Parkinson’s Law” states that work expands to fill the time allotted. Meaning if you give work 10 hours in a day, it will fill up with 10 hours of work. 

My work hours are clearly defined – typically I start around 9am and finish around 5-6pm, with 12-1pm blocked off for lunch with my wife. That’s just 8 hours of work, which is more than enough to get what matters most done, and not too much where I burnout and have nothing left in the tank for my family. 

Because the days tend to be more intense, I make sure to take lots of time for breaks between tasks, deep work, and coaching calls. Typically breaks are around 15 minutes and help me show up fully for everything that I’m doing. 

I find that if you calendar block what’s most important each day and actually execute what you plan to do, then you will feel a LOT lighter when you finish work with less guilt for wasting the day. This is what I call the Golden Rule of Time Management: 

“The QUALITY of time you spend at work determines the QUANTITY of time you spend outside of work.”

Many sellers believe that “providing” for your family means providing financially. But that’s just part of the equation. 

Equally important is providing your family with your unconditional love, time, and attention when you are home. Because your children don’t care how much you make or what you do for a living – they want your presence. 

Here’s the biggest paradox of focusing on your family first: when I prioritize my marriage and family, the results at work tend to take care of themselves. 

And it’s not just me – I’ve seen this over and over and over again with my coaching clients. When they put their attention on their health, family, and relationships, opportunities “come to them” at work. I’ve seen more bluebird deals come out of nowhere when people focus in at home, and after seeing this partner over and over again I’ve come to realize it’s not a coincidence.

Because pouring into our family and relationships makes us happy. And when you are happy, people WANT to work with you and feel more drawn to you. It’s the Law of Attraction at its core! 

At the end of the day, your company WILL NOT be loyal to you. Layoffs occur out of nowhere, quotas double, and managers change every year. But your family will stick by your side through thick and thin. It’s about time that ALL of us start investing as much time into our relationships at home as we do at work. And once you do this, sit back and watch as your results at work start to skyrocket! 

PS – If you are a “high achiever” at work but not getting the same results at home, I’d love to help. At Untap Your Sales Potential we coach sellers who are looking to be wildly successful in ALL areas of their life. Book a call with my team here to see if you’re a good fit.