Dear Work – We Can No Longer Be Lovers

Anyone that knows me knows I live for two things – fishing and closing deals.? It might sound narrowly focused but that’s what was ingrained in me throughout all of my formative years.

Having grown up in a modest Nebraskan household, I saw the struggles that came from not having enough money and I saw the freedom that came when it was present.? So I longed for that and I pursued that.? It’s what ignited my entrepreneurial spirit.

In high school, I started my own company with a friend hosting high school dances on the weekends as a DJ.? In college, I took on a childcare job that afforded me money to pay my bills and the flexibility to pursue an education.? And after I graduated, I pursued a career in sales where I excelled.? I was hooked from day one and my addiction has only grown since.

Fast forward to today and I’m looking at what is likely the last stop on my career journey before I retire.? When I look back, I’m incredibly proud of my career; of the people I’ve coached, mentored and inspired; of the records I hit and the impressions I made.? But there’s also this lingering doubt in my mind that I missed out on something, that there’s a life out there that I could have had but simply didn’t fulfill because I was too busy chasing revenue.

But the good news is, it’s never too late to change.? I can’t go back and change anything, but I can take control moving forward.? For me that means setting boundaries for the calls I take, so I can make time for riding my bike and seeing my trainer.? It’s about saying no when I’m not needed in a meeting so I can sit down and have a healthy meal that isn’t in front of a screen.? It’s thinking about what I want out of life after my career eventually does end, and setting a path to get there.

The only person that can do that is me.? And that means I can no longer treat work like it’s my lover, obsessing over it day and night, never getting enough.? It’s time for my life? - my family, my friends, my interests and my health – to take center stage.??

I hope you make this realization sooner than I did and begin creating the life you want.? Today.