“You gotta out work, out perform, out do every one, and you can sleep when you are dead!”

I have read most of the top self-improvement, our perform, get it done, positive thinking books on the market. Many are very good, while some are the same out dated, ill focused, lack of soul substance books.

I have been on this planet a few decades. Seen, done, and experienced a lot. My dad even used to say I have lived half a dozen lives in one. Yes, I confess I was a workaholic. I have always been a rather driven individual, I liked to push my self to my limits, over achieve, climb the corporate ladder, and in my younger years thirsted after adrenaline rushes.

However, as true wisdom has set in, years have been gifted upon my life, gleaning advice and knowledge from leaders I respect to whom I seen do what they speak and preach; it is not about burning the candle at both ends, and sleeping when you are dead. If you follow that program and lifestyle you will soon burn out, or die much earlier than you should.

I do rise early. Typically around 6am and able to get some prayer time, a devotional, a workout, a shower in, and a healthy breakfast before my work day starts at 8am. I strive to give me career my very best by leveraging what I know, what I have been taught, and applying what other mentors I trust have applied. Always learning, always growing, and constantly applying. However, by 5pm I am done. I put the work day behind me, enjoy a good dinner with family or friends, and often a workout or enjoy a second work out with my son, a friend, or by myself. I enjoy gathering with friends, family, serving at a charity, writing or finish writing a book, reading, catching a good movie, watch live music, or ride my bicycle or motorcycle. Granted I still struggle with getting a full 8 hrs of sleep in, however I gave gotten much better at it by trying to be in bed by 10pm to 11pm-ish.

Now some may say, even those self proclaimed over achiever self improvement book writers may say, you cannot achieve high success, or true happiness, and fulfillment by doing that.

Well I am at about my most content and happy I have been in my life. Since 1/1/2020 I have lost over 35 lbs, lowered my resting heart rate well over 20pts which is at around 60. Increased muscle sizes from 1 to 3 inches. I feel as nearly as I did in my mid 20s. I even achieved another black belt in karate last year. I am looking to finish writing another book and getting it into the hands of a publisher before year end. I love my career and have excelled at my objectives, goals, and have been at, or over quota, over the last several months. I enjoy the company of an amazing woman that loves me deeply in which we have so many things, passions, interests, and goals in common that it is uncanny.

Yes, I am still driven, diligent, disciplined and determined, but I do not burn the candle at both ends, now getting an average of 7 hrs of sleep a day. I am not overworked, burned out, or exhausted even though I work at my career 8 hrs a day 5 days a week, in the gym 3 to sometimes 6 days a week, average around 10k+ steps a day, attend all my son’s lacrosse games, in church every Sunday, serve at church, involved in a church ministry, in a Fraternity, and an Ambassador for another charity.

The secret to all of this? It is called priorities and balance. It is about living my life with Purpose, while navigating with Principles, and exploring with Passion which is similar to my book titled, “Purpose Principles Passion.” It’s called living with balance, creating margin, developing a plan, and sticking to it. It’s putting God first, and applying the wisdom from the bible which helps navigate my life, my eating, my exercising, and understanding what is truly important, not just here on earth, but for eternity.

YES, work hard, train hard, love hard, serve well, rest well, eat well, and live well.

The “Good Life” is not about how many toys you have, or how much money you make. It’s about how many lives you touch, and good you create.

May you too enjoy launching each day with Purpose, navigating with Principles and exploring with Passion!