It's a Balancing Act

I am a very regimented person. My mornings do not leave any room for thought, flexibility, or change – and I like that. It allows me to ensure that my energy is better spent elsewhere throughout my day. My entire day after my morning session involves thinking and adapting to the environment around me. I also generally have my day planned at least 2-3 days prior, but as we all know, things happen. That’s when it’s important to have balance in your life.

Most people think of “work/life balance” when they hear the word – balance. Balance can and does mean many things, but I’m speaking specifically about being able to balance a static vs dynamic schedule. Sales is a dance at times. You must be able to balance the rigid schedule of prospecting, demos, and 1:1s while also being able to move meetings, lunches, and personal time due to unforeseen circumstances.

“Balance is a feeling derived from being whole and complete; it’s a sense of harmony. It is essential to maintaining quality in life and work.” – Joshua Osenga

There are pros and cons to both sides of the dance – structured vs unstructured. This is not a shock to anyone that, likely, the best way is a hybrid of both. Admittedly, I fall more on the structured side – and that works for me. I start everyday the same way, meditation, workout, read, walk my dog, then shower and get ready for the day – period, no matter what. I do this routine because it helps get my mind right for the day to come. If I do not do those things, then I am not the best salesman nor person I can be. And who doesn’t want to be the best??

Where I could certainly do better is being structured with my workday – while there is no good definition for what a “workday” is for me, it generally involves responding to emails first thing, going over my “to do” list, then hopping on meetings and “on the go” until quitting time, which changes day-to-day.

This is where the art of balance comes into play. Rarely does my day go exactly as planned – nearly never, if we’re being honest. Being able to balance the “emergency” requests, last-second customer changes, working through a complex problem, etc. sh*t happens, and you need to be able to adapt and respond.

Another form of balancing is determining how much of my time is spent on certain activities. Obviously, I would like to dedicate all my time to revenue-generating activities – but that is not possible. There are internal meetings to attend, administrative tasks that must be done to produce and do so efficiently, setting aside to learn about this ever-changing industry.

Because these non-revenue activities are important and ultimately lead to more production, you must determine how much of your time should be spent on those vs actual selling. Again – another balancing act.

Know yourself, know what you need to do to be successful, and balance out the rest.

-Tanner L. Warner