Does work life balance exist?

Have you ever thought about how some successful people are unhealthy or out of shape and some fit people are broke?

This teaches us that fitness makes you wealthy in health, but it doesn’t guarantee financial success.

Fitness and financial success compete for the most valuable resource: TIME.

There’s only one you, and many demands for your time.

There are also fit people who are financially successful that spend no time enjoying their success. I also don't aspire to be that. 

Understanding these "buckets" and how they make you feel will help you remain calm in your pursuit of your goals.

In this blog I'm going to teach you how I divide time and energy between fitness, business, and life. 

To achieve the trifecta of high fitness, earning a proud income, and enjoying the life it provides, you need to be disciplined with your time.

To do this, I don’t believe in perfect work-life balance.

In my experience, there are times when you need to shift energy to different priorities.

1. Work capacity vs. The Sniper Approach

In 2018-2019, I worked out three times a week with a group at ITS in NYC, doing intense Gym Jones workouts.

• Side note – Training hard with others builds deep bonds. Shout out to Ben, Paulie, Daniel, and Jayson!

Commuting to the workout took an hour, the workout another hour, and I barely had time to eat before rushing to train clients. I loved it!

In this period of my life, I had to develop work capacity. During certain seasons, you push your limits, fight exhaustion, and power through.

But I learned that always pushing to RPE 10 leads to burnout. In NYC, I measured success by how exhausted I felt, reassured I was on the right path.

Looking back, I’m grateful for those NYC days – they helped build my passion and lifelong friendships!

Moving to LA, beginning a new relationship, and building a global community taught me the "sniper approach."

The sniper approach involves being selective with your energy and focusing on the most important tasks. Protect your energy and focus only on what truly matters.

I still need my work capacity at times, but it is now not the only tool I have in my arsenal to employ. 

A blend between work capacity and the intensity of a snipers focus is more sustainable over the long run. 

2. The Line of Diminishing Returns

How much time and energy you invest depends on your personal goals.

My values are family, faith, health, and financial freedom. I focus my energy on these areas and trust that consistency leads to success.

Success requires patience and courage, especially when doubt creeps in. Often, you won’t see results until you taste success.

One thing I’m always mindful of is diminishing returns.

Diminishing returns happen when you're investing energy but not seeing growth. Often, it’s due to a need for clearer direction or because energy is being stolen by other distractions.

Changing your environment or people can bring new energy and clarity. This also applies to training.

Sticking to the same program works until the body adapts. That’s when you need to adjust the stimulus, whether it’s through volume, intensity, or tools.

I always ask myself: "Am I maximizing my training time?" Any time that doesn’t produce results is wasted because it steals from my business and personal life.

3. Fitness

If you invest time in your craft and family, there’s limited time left for fitness.

You can build a huge business, but without health, you can’t enjoy it fully.

The best research supports 150 minutes of moderate activity (75 minutes vigorous) and two 30-minute strength training sessions per week. This is considered a near “life insurance” for your health.

Most people train either cardio or strength, with only about 20% hitting both. Meeting these guidelines puts you in the top 20%.

I also recommend adding power and speed work for a well-rounded approach.

Professional athletes often train up to 3 hours daily. If you want specific goals, you’ll need to train more, but remember that increased fitness demands can pull focus from other areas.

Find the sweet spot for adaptation and don’t train more just to train more. If I lack energy, I aim for the basics; at other times, I push myself harder.

Currently, I'm focused on my family and business, so I stick to the basics but am also building chin-up volume for a future pull-up test. Here's my routine:

• Monday: 45-min run, Golf, 15 sets of 3 chin-ups
• Tuesday: 45-min walk, Lift 1 (Zerchers, chin-ups, presses)
• Wednesday: 45-min walk, 10 sets of 3 chin-ups
• Thursday: 30-min walk, Lift 2 (Clean+Press+Swing+Squat), 15 sets of 3 chin-ups
• Friday: 45-min run
• Saturday: Lift 3 (option + intervals)
• Sunday: Off

4. Family

Growing up, my parents worked a lot, and I often wanted them around.

As a kid, I didn't understand, but now I'm grateful for the work ethic they taught me. 

As I approach becoming a father in the future, I know I want to be able to teach my kids work ethic while also spending as much time with them as I possibly can.

Balancing both is a challenge. To make it work, I have to be even more disciplined with time spent on work and the gym.

If I invest too much in work at the expense of family, I’ve failed. Moving forward, maintaining that balance is my priority.

5. Business

Creating something worthwhile gives me a feeling of fun and inspiration. 

While you're building it, you will experience fear, stress, and anxiety as you force yourself into the unknown. 

The key is knowing how to pursue discomfort, while also protecting yourself when the stress becomes too high to recover from. 

I harness inspiration when it comes, but eventually, working harder leads to exhaustion. The right amount of work is enough to tire me, but with the discipline to recover and return stronger.

There are periods when I push hard, and others when I slow down to rest.

6. Conclusion

Investing in your health is a form of wealth but doesn’t guarantee financial success.

Financial success is necessary for a quality life and providing for loved ones. To increase it, you must work hard, push through exhaustion, and build your passion.

Adopting the sniper approach helps you focus your time and energy on what matters most in fitness, business, and life.

When diminishing returns occur, quickly change your environment, stimulus, or people.

A training program that includes 150 minutes of moderate activity and strength training three times a week is enough to place you in the top 20% of people. Treat this as the baseline, and aim to exceed it.

Invest the right amount of time in business to feel energized rather than exhausted. Know that periods of stress and exhaustion will come, but assess these feelings over time.

Invest enough time in family to feel proud of the relationships you’ve built. If you ever feel you haven’t done enough, change it.

By investing time intentionally, you will succeed. Most people wander through life, complaining about results. Take ownership of your journey—what’s uncertain is the outcome, but you have control over how you spend your time.