As a financial advisor, there was a time in my career when I realized I’d been giving so much of myself for so long that I felt depleted.
Through MDRT’s Whole Person concept, though, I learned how to protect and energize myself so I could support others at work and at home. This also allowed me to create a more balanced life and the type of business I wanted with a more predictable income stream.
The Whole Person concept consists of the following pillars:
- Relationships
- Health
- Education
- Career
- Service
- Financial
- Spiritual
For me, I had to first understand my purpose. Then it was about understanding myself and when I naturally have the most energy, so I could create my perfect week and incorporate the Whole Person concept in it.
A perfect week is when you’ve got balance. We all have a lot going on. I see clients, continually learn, network, exercise, strive to get enough sleep, enjoy family time, walk the dogs and so forth. We can’t do it all at once, and we wouldn’t want to. Instead, we should determine what the best times are for doing certain activities based on our personal energy levels.
For example, my energy is highest at the beginning of the week. So, I make sure I use my high-energy time on one of my priorities aligned with my purpose, and that’s client meetings. Typically, I have 30 appointments a week, and those appointments are generally done by mid-Wednesday. From there, the rest of the week is about setting up the following week, and then I don’t work on weekends.
At the end of the week, I work with my team and make sure to delegate what’s best for them to work on. I also use the end of the week for networking and planning.
The thing about an ideal week is it doesn’t always work out. The reality is there are going to be things that come at you all the time. You’re constantly juggling to get to that ideal. It’s important at the end of the week, however, to look back and notice what worked and what didn’t. Some of the questions I ask myself are:
- Did I spend too much time with too many clients?
- Did I not spend enough time in underwriting and pushing things through to completion?
- What areas did I need to balance out more?
Measuring is also part of what an ideal week is about. This allows you to continuously improve and continue to create the life and business you want.
Katrina Church is a 10-year MDRT member from Aukland, New Zealand. She’s also a Top of the Table member.
Read more about the Whole Person concept in “Is your Whole Person plan in place?” (MDRT member exclusive, available in 10 languages)
