Did you know that you can actually work too hard? It’s a dramatic statement that seems completely contrary to everything we have ever been taught about success. It is also 100% accurate. You can, in fact, work so hard that you begin to counter your own goals.
The reality is that humans need rest. If you’re the average person working in America today, you’re not getting enough and it will affect your future. Read on to learn why rest matters to your plans for retirement and some tips on how to break the cycle so you can achieve your goals.
Why Does Slowing Down Matter?
What can rest do for your ability to build a comfortable retirement (or retire at all)? Sometimes the best illustration of a concept is to show the consequences instead of the benefits. Here are some reasons you may want to take slowing down more seriously:
- Tired people struggle to perform at their best. You may actually be costing yourself money by working so hard to make money.
- Burnout can cause more problems than dissatisfaction with work. It can lead to serious mental health challenges that set you back even further in your goals.
- Families suffer when one or both parents work relentlessly to provide. Yes, supporting your family is a necessity. However, provision includes love and time and you can’t provide that if you’re working more hours than you’re not.
- Relationships suffer when you cannot balance work and life. Who wants to reach the finish line and realize that there’s no one there to celebrate with them?
- Exhaustion puts you at financial risk. If you burn out or work beyond your limits, you are more prone to mistakes. That could cost you your livelihood. Again, you will cost yourself the very wealth you are trying to generate!
- Overworked people lower their quality of life. If you’re working this hard, you’re presumably trying to ensure you can retire comfortably. Don’t forget to live in the now, too. There are people here who love you and want to enjoy your company today, not 15 years from now.
- Stressed people shorten their lifespans, increase their risk of short-term and chronic illnesses, and report higher rates of anxiety and depression.
As you can see, there are plenty of consequences to ignoring the restoration your body so desperately needs to thrive. Let’s take a look at some ways to accomplish that.
Enlist Help for Maximizing Your Money — and Your Free Time
You can create additional space for yourself by enlisting the support of an expert money manager to help you maximize your earnings and investments. Ask yourself these questions:
- Do you have time to study the market, explore the latest banking products, or seek out new opportunities?
- Do you know which methods of wealth generation are safe bets and which ones can put all of your hard work at risk?
- Even if you do know what to do, do you have the time to do any of it?
Remember that the whole purpose of slowing down is to free yourself from some of the burdens of busyness.
One of the best ways to achieve balance is to figure out where you can outsource tasks that suck up your precious free time. The best wealth management advisors make it a priority to help you grow your wealth so that you can focus on other things.
Of course, you will have to do a little bit of work in researching to ensure that you find a smart, trustworthy specialist to help you feel confident about your financial future. Look for planners who focus on evidence-based investing with a solid risk-management strategy.
Shut Down Intrusions into Your Peace
Technology is amazing — it’s how I’ve been able to reach so many people with financial guidance and run my podcast. It’s how you’re reading this article right this very minute. It makes everything easier. Unfortunately, that also includes letting work and worry seep into your downtime.
If you truly want to reap the benefits of your goal to take it easier, you need to remove distractions that suck you back into work. Everyone is guilty of checking work email during vacation or taking that one call from a client while out with the family. That aforementioned guilt that equates rest with laziness has a strong pull! I know it’s not feasible for you to completely leave the smartphone behind, but there are things you can do to mitigate the intrusions.
Steps you can take to disconnect:
- Set aside time (as much as possible) that is completely devoid of tech. Read that book you bought in 2018 and never picked up or eat your family meals with all phones left behind.
- On days off, don’t hop on the laptop “just for a second” to check emails or finish up a task from work.
- Do not randomly check emails on your phone or answer calls and texts about work or business during your leisure time. Set a “do not disturb” on your phone for all but a select few callers (kids, parents, close friends) so that you won’t even be tempted to pick up.
- Set expectations for business partners, clients, coworkers, or anyone else related to your life’s hustle that you will be out of pocket during certain times of the week. You do not owe them every waking minute of your life.
- Take time for activities like exercise and meditation. You can use your phone for music or guided meditation, but that’s it.
- Get outside and leave the phones on silent. Even a brief walk can help you re-center.
Find Your Peace
If you are interested in learning more about how you can create time for yourself and build the future you deserve, give us a call! We can help provide guidance on creating a strategy that grows your wealth without sacrificing all the reasons that make money worthwhile in the first place.