Balancing Life and Work: Why Experiences Matter

Inspiration

Aug 29

Balancing life and work while building a business is a constant juggling act. You're managing work, emails, content creation, bookkeeping, taxes, marketing, HR, payroll, cash management, and sales…just to name a few. It’s an endless list, and while it’s not exhaustive, it can certainly be exhausting. 😅

Recently, I’ve been listening to a book that has really resonated with me, Die with Zero by Bill Perkins. Perkins emphasizes that life is about collecting experiences. To gather these experiences, you need three vital resources: time, health, and money.

These resources often compete with one another. For example, investing in your health requires both time and money. Perkins makes a compelling case that if you spend your life trading time and energy solely for money, only to die with a full bank account, you’ll likely miss out on a lot….like invaluable life experiences.

Life Experiences vs. Wealth Accumulation

As I reflect on my own life, Perkins' philosophy hits home. When I was in my 20s, I couldn’t envision myself at 30. It was a complete mental block. I knew my most limited resource was time, so I chose not to spend it on jobs I hated, developing skills that didn’t align with my priorities.

Could I have accumulated more money if I had stayed in those jobs? Possibly. (Who knows?) But I wouldn’t trade that for the life experiences I’ve collected along the way.

Some of my most memorable life experiences to date include:

Studying in Ecuador and Spain
Getting married young
Moving from the Midwest to Los Angeles
Running the LA Marathon
Moving to South Africa
Moving to San Diego
Having our boys, West and Jett

The Present Moment

Today, our life is heavily focused on raising our boys. That’s why my camera roll is full of memories with them. Spending time with our kids while they’re young is a life experience Mahla and I have prioritized. This choice may mean taking on fewer projects, working odd hours, and potentially earning less money.

But everything comes at a cost. What matters is deciding which resources you’re willing to spend to achieve what you truly value.

Things may change in the future. But for now, we’re not just going through the motions to make money. Money is part of the equation, but it’s not the whole story.

Balancing work and personal life is challenging, but remembering that time, health, and money are all part of the equation can help you make decisions that align with your values in any given season of life.

Cheers to prioritizing the collection of experiences, friends.