In today’s fast-paced, technologically advanced world, people may find that they are juggling many hats instead of just wearing them. Managing time between work and personal life can become a difficult balancing act. Bryan Dodge, an educational speaker and author, says finding enough energy to do it all requires the exact opposite of balance.
"To be successful, you have to get out of balance," he said. "It is part of the process. The key is knowing where balance is. That’s where the key is. Because then you know when you’ve gone too far."
Dodge Development Inc. is Dodge’s Duncanville, Texas-based company that offers business consulting, sales training, leadership skills, time management, memory training and team-building through Dodge’s educational lectures and workshops.
His second book, "Life’s Good," is due to launch in the first quarter of 2006.
Dodge recently visited Milwaukee to speak to the Independent Business Association of Wisconsin about motivation, energy and enjoying the process of life instead of focusing only on the peak moments.
Balancing work and a private life that may be divided between a spouse, children, friends, relatives and personal time, does not require great talent. It only requires having a place to go, mentally or physically, where you can relax, recoup and regain the energy needed to make time for everything in a schedule.
"You have the energy and the discipline to absorb what needs to be absorbed so that you can go back and so you don’t burn out," Dodge said.
There are three keys to having balance within a busy lifestyle, Dodge said.
"The first is knowing that there is no balance and to stop pretending like it exists," Dodge said. "The second is knowing where it is. The third key is when you are there, where your balance is, be there."
Dodge’s balance is his barn. The barn is where he keeps his horses, boats and where he and his family spend time together. When Dodge is in his barn and with his family, he says work is the farthest thing from his mind.
Whether it is a barn, a lake house, a reading corner or riding a bicycle, a person’s balance is time to ignore the pressures and enjoy what is good in his or her life, Dodge said.
Everyone needs moments of restitution, something to look forward to, Dodge said.
"This week, I am out of balance. In the last three days, I have gone from Springfield, Mo., to Lake of the Ozarks, to Dallas, to San Antonio, to St. Louis, to Milwaukee, and I have to go to Dallas, to Houston, to Dallas, to Miami, to Dallas, by Monday morning," Dodge said during his Milwaukee visit. "I am out of balance right now. But I know that next week I have two days that I am going to head to my son’s football games, I am going to be there, and it will be my time."
Too many people sit on a beach and think about work, and then when they are at work, they think about the beach, Dodge said.
If the place where you find balance is a goal or something to look forward to, you can focus on what needs to be done at work or at home with full attention, he said.
"When you go to work, stay focused on doing one thing – doing your job well so you can get home," Dodge said. "It’s all about where your focus is, and is it a good focus or a bad focus?"
Dodge speaks to audiences of employees and business owners about the importance of being with family and communicating with spouses. Your feeling of balance and energy should come from what you love most, from what gives you the energy to get out of bed every morning, he said.
Most people, including employees and business owners, have lost their focus, Dodge said. They go through the motions of work and making their way home and don’t see that life is good, he said.
"The grass is always greener on the other side because you are spending more time looking over there," Dodge said. "Spend more time on the things you have and control, and not on the things you don’t have and can’t control."
Dodge’s speeches, including "How to Build a Better You," are meant to motivate employees and employers.
Employers should be willing to look for greatness in their personal lives, their businesses and their employees, Dodge said.
Individuals tend to overlook that every success has a long process leading up to it, Dodge said.
"What I focus on in the book is understanding that life’s good. Enjoying the process is the whole point," Dodge said.
"Balance is knowing where it is and knowing how to get back and not staying away too long," Dodge said. "That’s the formula. And you could do a lot of great things by just living with that alone."
Most expensive homes for sale in SE Wisconsin
Asking Price Address City County Lot Size Lakefront Taxes
$10,400,000 648 S. Lake Shore Dr. Lake Geneva Walworth 4.6 acres Lake Geneva $99,999 for 2004
$7,500,000 700 S. Lake Shore Dr. Lake Geneva Walworth 4 acres Lake Geneva $125,268 for 2005
$6,995,000 928 B South Shore Dr. Fontana Walworth 4.44 acres Lake Geneva $39,851 for 2004
$5,900,000 O S. Lake Shore Dr. Linn Walworth 7 acres Lake Geneva $29,775 for 2003
$5,495,000 590 S. Lake Shore Dr. Lake Geneva Walworth 3.5 acres Lake Geneva $40,924 for 2004
$5,000,000 2905 N. Mill Rd. Summit Waukesha 9.7 acres Upper Nemahbin $33,464 for 2004
$4,985,000 919 Bayview Dr. Lake Geneva Walworth 99X180 Lake Geneva $19,900 for 2004
$4,885,000 N2010 700 Club Dr. Linn Walworth 1 acre Lake Geneva $32,782 for 2004
$4,750,000 4827 Pine Meadows Ln. Chenequa Waukesha 4.8 acres Pine Lake $48,159 for 2004
$4,500,000 31871 Treasure Island Dr. Chenequa Waukesha 4 acres Pine Lake $42,387 for 2004
$4,175,000 9 Lake Shore Dr. Lake Geneva Walworth Irregular Lake Geneva $51,476 for 2004
