MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR OFF-SEASON:
HOW CHAMPIONS UTILIZE DOWNTIME TO TAKE THEIR GAMES TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Summertime is a time for family vacations, trips to the lake, barbecues, playing golf, and unfortunately a drop in productivity for many financial professionals. However, enjoying the personal benefits of summer does not have to come at a professional cost. In the world of professional sports, athletes do not simply “shut it down” in the off-season. Research has shown that when athletes cease continuing to develop and challenge themselves, their performance does not just plateau, but it decreases. The off-season challenge for pros is to strike a balance between recovery, leisure time, and taking their games to the next level. Below are a number of these champion-tested strategies that, as a financial professional, you can use during the summer to make the most of your off-season.
TAKE 2 -3 WEEKS FOR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL RECOVERY
At the beginning of each off-season, athletes hang up their gear and take 2-3 weeks to give their bodies and minds the time to recover from the demands of the competitive season. Consider how you can do the same by scheduling a family vacation, a trip with some friends, or some alone time hiking, traveling, or reading a book.
CONNECT WITH VALUED FRIENDS & FAMILY
Our familial and social support systems are critical to maintaining our mental health. When your competitive work life consumes so much of your time throughout the year, it is easy to neglect relationships that provide the emotional support needed to optimize performance and prevent burnout.
During the off-season, schedule time to connect with friends and family that care about you and provide you with love, support, and encouragement.
RAISE THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR PERFORMANCE POTENTIAL
When champions cease challenging their bodies and minds, performance declines. Thus, during down times, athletes allocate time for rest and recovery but also for refining those fundamentals that will raise their performance potential – strength and conditioning, technical skills, movement efficiencies, or equipment changes. Each off-season, golf champion Jack Nicklaus scheduled time with his long-time coach, Jack Grout, to shore up his fundamentals. Nicklaus emphasized:
“We try to start out fresh every year. I wanted to put my hands on the club right, get my feet sitting properly, get my head postured properly over my body, get the proper stance, all the things that you need to get started.”
Take the time to reflect upon your fundamentals (client service, financial planning skills, team development, use of technology, portfolio management), and identify a skill, process, workflow, tool, or resource that you could focus on and elevate during the off-season.
ENGAGE IN SHORT-TERM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
Whereas the off-season is not the time to implement your entire business plan, it is an opportunity to take on one or two short-term professional development initiatives in-between the times you are on a family vacation, a trip to the beach, or a long weekend with friends. Here are a few actionable ideas:
- Study for an advanced certification
- Interview candidates for a team position
- Upgrade your technology
- Establish next season’s client acquisition strategy
- Reposition your value proposition and services – from transactional to advisory
ESTABLISH ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEMS AND ROUTINES
When athletes are away from their coaches and teammates in the off-season, the embedded routines that typically guide their schedules and behaviors are not present. During down times, athletes take it upon themselves to hire an athletic trainer, partner with a teammate, or schedule time away at a structured skills development camp – all to introduce accountability and routine back into their off-season schedule.
Consider how you might take time in the summer to do the same – hire a business coach, enroll in a summer business course, partner with a team member to study for a certification, or hire a technology consultant to upgrade your use of today’s advanced digital applications.
Make the most of your summer by taking the time for active recovery but also taking 1 or 2
steps to elevate the foundation of your practice or professional skills.
If you are a team leader, manager, or strategic partner looking to support your advisors, I’d be
happy to support your efforts in person or via webinar (program description below).
Feel free to contact me anytime at 954-752-3333 or rick@drrickjensen.com.
VIEW DR. RICK’S OFF-SEASON PROGRAM BELOW
