hello winners here at leadership ignite
group your host David Johnson joining us
is Mike Schmidt Patrick Hardy and Clint
Laney today’s episode we’re talking
about a work-life balance and how hard
it is to maintain that balance
it’s often hard to be able to shut down
stuff that you may be engulfed in and
work and then be able to come home and
release that shut it down and focus on
family or other things that you have
often work takes precedence over
everything else our desires succeed
professionally can push us to set aside
our own well-being and that’s where the
physicality and emotional and mental
things can can take a toll on us so
let’s start off with Clint can you tell
us uh how you manage your work-life
balance and can shut it down in the
evenings when it’s tough because I I
struggle with it I can’t do it as as
um I think I like to compartmentalize
all right try to focus on the now
instead of thinking about the future
when I’m there I’m there right you want
to be present in everything you do uh
wherever you’re at it doesn’t matter
where you’re at so if I’m at work then
I’m at work and that’s 100 my focus
whether it’s multitasking on numerous
jobs or just that one job and then when
I try to just kind of shut it off and
focus on what it is I’m supposed to be
that is very true and very well put uh
I’m sure that with just those things
right there everyone else our listeners
can completely relate uh Patrick
increase responsibilities at work you
have many jobs you’ve got you’ve got a
lot of irons in the fire uh you’re
working long hours increased
responsibilities at home uh talk to me
about I think you’re doing some at home
work you’re doing some DIY work yourself
in the backyard what are you working on
uh building a shed so I can further put
a whole bunch of stuff from the garage
which I’m trying to organize into this
so then I can build a an erect a support
system for the brand new PV solar
system that you know I bought and uh
yeah it never ends which you’re going
it makes sense on on the money side that
probably you know the power price has
gone up my bill has gone up almost
probably eighty dollars at least per
month oh yeah and you know just doing
rough numbers I probably have about
uh about four thousand dollars invested
on a 10 kilowatt system I’m gonna you
know invest probably I’ve got all the
lumber already on there so probably yeah
but work life balance you know I you
know I cut it quits at four o’clock you
know I got I made some uh what is what
do you call that duck a la orange
tonight with some rice down in the you
know green beans for the family and I do
have to leave here in a little bit
because my daughter is asking for me to
put her to bed so work life balance
right yes that’s exactly right uh
there’s no Perfect work-life Balance
right it’s gonna constantly change so
that that balance I mean and when I say
balance I’m picturing that balance just
like this going back and forth because
you only have so much time in a day that
time is what holds us for that balance
okay uh you probably imagine uh having
an extremely productive day at work and
leaving early to spend the other half
the day with uh friends or family it
doesn’t always work that way Mike you
sometimes the work load depends on how
much time you have to set aside so so
what what’s your day look like Mike well
on saying there’s no such thing as a
perfect uh work-life balance because uh
I think I’ve nailed it no
yeah it looks like I’m there
no I was trying to think ahead of time
about this uh question and uh yeah I
um and uh I think the biggest thing is
to be able to say no to people and take
those days where you don’t have any set
um meetings or anything like that you
work at your own pace you focus on what
um I usually try to set aside Monday for
that you know the weekends those are
work weekends like anybody else
um but yeah I usually set aside Monday
to make sure that I get ahead of
schedule make sure that the rest of the
um at least I hope for it to be a breeze
but uh yeah I think the biggest thing is
just being able to say no
um you are not anybody’s servant
um you know you’re in charge of your own
you make it sound so easy Mike it’s not
there’s a missing element I don’t have
any children or a uh or a wife so uh
just just extra variables right it’s
challenging that’s it that’s just the
yeah uh but it’s important to remain
fluid uh and constantly it says where
you and versus your goals and priorities
um your children may need you other
times you may need travel for work
um Patrick you know you’ve got enough
you’ve got a schedule that I can’t
um yeah I think your shift is a
firefighter as one of your many jobs is
you’re a at a station where you’re
constant you’re there on shift for 24
and then you have what two days off so
yeah so so yeah that cycle was like it
it changes quite a bit you know your
whole month is you know different days
oh I don’t have any weekends well you
know I go to work it’s a Monday I’m
getting off it’s a Friday and the same
day and then I’m there’s my weekend so
even I’ve learned to live on very little
sleep you know because if I I’m up all
night but one of the things that um
probably in the last couple of years
probably in the last five or six years
I’ve challenged myself to do a little
bit more on is the ability of doing more
than one thing at the same time
multitasking whatever but if you’re
you could be and you’re or you’re doing
anything that’s mundane that’s taking
very little of your mental power you
could be thinking about the next 10 20
other things that you need to be doing
and like I I love cooking and if you
know anything about cooking it’s all
about multitasking you’re not cooking
one thing you’re cooking three or four
things you’re cutting vegetables you’re
washing vegetables you’re prepping this
because and it’s all about timing so you
could be thinking about all of that
while you’re driving down the road while
you’re waiting in line while you’re
doing anything you know why you know I
try not to do it before I go to sleep
because that’s what keeps you up
but as soon as I wake up the first
things that are going through my head
are the 10 20 30 50 things that I have
and I just try to prioritize
well you make it you make it sound
awfully easy and it sounds like you’ve
got your ducks in a row there Patrick me
I’m still working towards that but you
know I’m talking to the fire and a man
with a great military background Mr Lee
YouTube probably have the overall
physical emotional mental health that
you should to have a great work-life
balance uh so so that alone the the
physical helps with the mental right so
so uh you won’t struggle with anxiety
and depression and and think of the
therapy uh stuff that may come along
with it right uh when you when you have
sessions and you schedule everything out
um even though it may be fluid you’re
always thinking ahead what’s your next
step you I think you prioritize your
health in a manner that you make it look
easy right so that is something not to
forget about what’s your routine do you
have like uh do you work at the fire
station Patrick and Clinton do you have
like morning push-ups and jumping jacks
you guys do what do you do there
all right Patrick go ahead hey I live on
a farm and then uh when I travel and
teach every morning at you know five
five thirty I get up and I go for people
ask me how far I run and I tell them oh
about 45 minutes Worth to an hour’s
worth because I don’t really keep track
it’s like it’s almost depressing I got
the like the Apple watch and it told me
like you ran like three miles I’m like
no I did and I ran six but it’s now um
no but while I’m running you know I got
in a botany you can see leaves on the
you know I’m I’m learning you know
um you know anything and everything to
keep my mind occupied and when I’m not
doing that while I’m running I’m
thinking I’m prioritizing and I’m
getting things done and that’s a good
way to stay out of the you know you
talked about anxiety depression and all
this you know you’ve got to have a
purpose in life and you got to be
pushing forward and you got to have you
know a Thousand Mile journey is
you know the first step you know and as
long as you break that Journey down into
small goals even though I got a lot of
Journeys going at the same time they
kind of all come together
but you just hey this is what I’m going
to do to accomplish this and this and
this and this and you just gotta
occasionally remind yourself just how
far you’ve gotten sometimes look behind
you like oh crap man I’ve walked a long
you know that that’s an important thing
you just said there right there Patrick
oh you know don’t be afraid to look
behind you yeah just to see you see how
far you’ve come that’s that’s really
good stuff Clint how do you how do you
handle the uh physical load and making
sure you stay in shape and and release
some of that stress you may have if any
um I I don’t have a set schedule right I
I plan or want to do something at a
correct time but I found it and listen
um really whenever you can you get in
what you can it doesn’t have to be a lot
right as long as it’s high intensity for
a short period of time right you don’t
um to be honest I don’t want to make the
time right I just want to do enough all
right to stay sharp to avoid a burnout
um and it kind of shocks your body when
you’re switching to or from different
routines one thing that I want to bring
up that as I was listening to Mike and
then to Patrick and this this stood out
with Mike Mike you and scheduling right
that’s what jumped out at me is that you
schedule or you like to at least plan a
at least a soft schedule to be able to
to fit things in and know what you’re
um Patrick was talking about maximizing
his time right multitasking while you’re
driving which is kind of mundane right
thinking about what else you need to do
catching up on phone calls doing things
will be better suited for when you’re
driving you can’t do anything else right
but it all comes down to if you combine
both of those it really is planning
right is just planning your time
planning your day planning your week
um if there is one thing that I think
I’m not very good at right
um I’m kind of an administrative
nightmare if you will right because
everything is just one after the next so
I don’t sit down to plan I don’t sit
down to look to look behind me sometimes
to enjoy what it is it right because
you’re always looking forward
yeah that’s tough cutting ties with the
outside world from time to time uh can
allow you to recover weekly stress gives
you space and and other thoughts and
sometimes your ideas emerge and and uh
you come up with better ideas maybe for
work or or maybe that meditation like
you were talking about your drive you
know I always found that uh
the drive from town to back out to the
country where I grew up was a form of
meditation other times I came out of a
Daydream and wondered how I’ve been
driving for the last two or three months
so David for you really quick for you
um what percentage of time do you spend
every day do you spend working right and
what percentage of time do you spend
with family let’s deduct eight hours for
sleeping right just just as a baseline
let’s deduct eight hours for sleeping
uh inspections start at 8 30. uh they
don’t normally stop until
even if I’m not inspecting I’m
proofreading publishing my lunch so I’ll
have a good breakfast my lunch is
normally I keep peanut butter crackers
and and different like trail mix bars
and stuff like that in the truck and a
box uh that’s usually my lunch
I like that routine it works great for
me and then I’m ready to do supper in
the evening Patrick I wish I love to
cook as much as you but I I used to
right I used to do it on a normal like I
cook a lot or used to but not as much
anymore yeah but I I more or less am
down your scheduling I’m going to
schedule another inspection when we get
off at least start it I won’t make the
phone calls until tomorrow morning but
you know there’s still stuff that I I
have a hard time shutting down and it’s
a struggle myself because I’ll think
about it like I needed to have this done
before I went to bed tonight just to
stay on top so I’m ready for tomorrow
once I finish my inspection I proofread
publish onto the next one I am that like
it done on the next one okay I stay
caught up and I have anxiety if I ever
have something lingering over me because
I think about it like now I’ve got two
inspections to proofread before I
publish you know that’s that’s me I like
staying cut up it’s it’s a check mark
a lot of satisfaction from completion so
did I tell you the story of how I got
stuck on my second floor mother-in-law
Ruth when I was putting on metal roof in
the middle of the summer time because I
was trying to get the last couple of
panels screwed into place so the storm
that was about to come through wouldn’t
rip them off and destroy the panels
what happened it started sprinkling and
I couldn’t get down during a
Lord help us my point and I’m using that
sometimes you just have to stop
because the further you go down and
you’re I gotta five more minutes five
you may be doing more harm than good at
that point either in in the moment
or the next day because you’re
sacrificing your sleep you’re
and you’re going to sacrifice your
productivity and everything in the next
you know yeah so you gotta have
and I say that from my experience
because that’s my dreaded Last Words
five more minutes five more minutes and
all of a sudden like 40 minutes go by
because um I just I gotta get it done I
you know I I give myself a good 40
minutes honestly 40 to 45 minutes like
okay all right at this point I’m gonna
stop knowing that I’m not actually gonna
be done for another 45 minutes
I will say that I am starting to not
have uh or not feel guilty when we do
take uh lengthy vacations uh it is it is
truly unplugging means taking vacations
and and shedding work completely off for
a while uh if the vacation is even a
one-day staycation or a two-week trip to
Bali right uh it’s important to take
that time off physically and mentally it
I’ve always felt better when I came back
I’ve always felt better after it usually
takes about two to three days for me to
on vacation for me to finally just be
like the phone calls will stop coming in
the emails they’re getting it they’re
getting it right I’m not there
um and then it’s done right so
um yeah yeah Mike how about you where do
you like to go to to relax or or what do
it’s difficult because uh when I got
started with this I always imagined that
vacation slash work and be happy with
that you know yeah but you could you
could you know have a week where you
could go you know work on working with
tech you could take it anywhere right so
at any time I could go out
do a little traveling out west or
something and as long as I got my
computer with me I’m there to stay
setting everything aside I really really
really struggle with that
30. we’ll say 30 to 50 cents you keep me
I could be getting bombarded at any
point so it’s really hard I’ll have to
I’ll have to work on that one
well at the end of the day
if you don’t firmly plan for personal
time like you do with your your good
scheduling Mike and I love hearing that
Clint thanks for bringing that back
around here twice I needed to hear it
um yeah if you don’t firmly plan your
personal time it’s hard for you to ever
have time to do other things outside of
work right no matter how hectic your
schedule might be it’s it’s
ultimately our schedule right we we can
we have a certain amount of control over
it uh so to control your time and life
it’s very important to do that Mike just
doesn’t have the crutches right Mike
doesn’t have the baggage right the
little trailer hits on the backside
okay you just need to send me some
parameters all right I’ve already got
all right let’s set aside for you
does he have to sign for him when they
come in the mail or is it no no no no no
here’s what I’m gonna do I’m I’m gonna
I’m gonna start thinking about the
hourly right just like you said Clint
break it down I’m gonna I I may not be
able to set it aside completely by this
hard time six o’clock I I may not be
able to but I’m at least gonna say hey
at least I’m shutting it down at this
point whatever fluid motion events may
be going on uh Clint what are you gonna
do well in the next week what are you
going to try to modify so
I have to be fluid let me just say that
I like to be fluid I like to have
but I like to be fluid meaning
um I’ll take into consideration what my
wife’s doing I’m taking into
consideration what we have to do right
and then kind of plan around it and plan
things that I want to do or need to do
right to fit that schedule as well
um I I don’t like being I don’t like
being stuck to a hard schedule even
though we all are to a certain degree
um I like the flexibility to to just be
what I feel I need to prioritize in
doing does that make sense no of course
um and listen with inspections for
example we don’t have that option the
inspection is set for 9 A.M all right so
you go from 9 to 11 right sometimes your
next inspections at 12 31 o’clock
yeah from from that inspection
um if you’re lucky enough to have
another one if not you’re coming home
you’re working on the report but there
has to be I I think I agree there has to
be a cut off time right to find that
right balance between work and home you
you have to have a shut off time
I think it just always comes back to the
just being able to say no scheduling
um I was just listening to Clint repeat
the question repeat the question
yeah so it’s always what I’m uh asking
is like are you how can you modify your
next week or two maybe to set aside time
you know just at mic time right my time
more money time yeah yeah
um who doesn’t want more bike time right
wake up before noon just think what
we were all thinking it but he said it
wake up before noon oh right
we know you’re up and going we know
you’re up and going I called Mike at two
the afternoon yesterday right and he was
just getting out of bed I caught him in
his pajamas and he was whatever
he was probably about to go to bed yeah
get to bed before get to bed before five
uh but I know I think just keeping your
I think keeping your goals in mind is
Big because uh it let’s you you have a
um there’s a destination in what it
manifesting those you know there’s
when it comes to working endlessly and
Non-Stop and thinking about oh my gosh
next week I got to do all this work no
just think about what that one what
those one or two three goals are uh that
you really want to focus on and
um think about what it takes to to
either keep those going or to get those
started and I think that really puts
things into perspective uh it doesn’t
seem like such a such a moment such a
Monumental task Monumental there’s a
great word for it yes uh Monumental task
and um it allows you to then
um figure out how much time
and not feel guilty about that time that
you do put aside to uh uh to get to get
let me get back to you and figure out
why you’re working that way and not just
not just you but your family
you know your family your what kids all
that good stuff you know your life not
everybody else’s life that you’re trying
to make better so that’s right No One’s
Gonna Love You the way that your loved
ones love you right your company’s not
going to love you Mikey’s setting
that’s exactly right even if what I’m
going to do is I’m going to plan a
one-on-one date with each one of my
loved ones each person in my house is
going to get some one-on-one time with
Dave it’s going to be David
one-on-one time I’m coming there’s 17 17
here I’m coming Mikey yeah more mic time
each one of us each one of us Dave wife
why no hold on what no that one was from
for Mike oh okay okay okay
yes yes yes yes that one’s for Mike yeah
but but yeah I interrupted you I’m sorry
Dave no no no I no ensuring that you
spend the quality time uh
and get away from that or maintain a
good work life uh uh balance it’s what
it’s all about uh it’s what worked it’s
um it doesn’t mean you should neglect
personal relationships uh you get
everyone wants to be good at their job
everyone everyone’s replaceable right so
don’t forget that right it’s it’s really
all about your loved ones and who really
you surround yourself with that’s that’s
who’s number one so so boundaries and
and against uh work hours is really
important that’s what I’m going to work
um let’s leave off with a little
salutation or or any any good advice you
guys may have for our listeners I’ve got
the final I’ve got our final Bible verse
okay all right which is gonna be on
leadership all right Titus one
uh I’m gonna read out of the Modern
English version okay for an overseer
must be blameless as a steward of God
not self-willed not easily angered not
given to drunkenness not violent not
greedy for dishonest game but hospitable
self-controlled just holy temperate
holding firmly the trustworthy word that
is in accordance with the teaching that
he may be able to exhort with sound
and to convince those who oppose it for
there are many unruly men empty talkers
and deceivers especially those of the
who must be silenced who subvert whole
houses by teaching for dishonest gain
things they ought not teach
one of them a prophet of their own said
the cretans are always Liars evil beasts
and Idol buttons the witness is true so
rebuke them sharply that they may be
sound in the faith not paying attention
to Jewish myth and Commandments of men
right it’s saying just be a good person
follow God’s God’s lead right right
that’s what it comes down to
um yep and I have ups and downs you just
got to uh uh just keep the big picture
keep the big picture and that’s why we
have the group right is to motivate and
uplift each other right and not downcast
not push people down but actually uplift
and help people succeed right just like
we’ve helped each other that’s how we’re
and all the points that I love to hit on
here at leadership ignite group are the
financial time mental social physical
and of course spiritual and that’s what
we will continue to do so thank you
listeners for joining us today here at
leadership ignite group David Johnson
Clint Laney and Mike Schmidt signing off