How to maintain work-life balance while traveling

The subject of work-life balance strikes a chord in the mortgage industry

How to maintain work-life balance while traveling

On the June 13 episode of my Lykken on Lending podcast, we had the opportunity to discuss the importance of work-life balance with mortgage industry legal expert Mitch Kider and his three grown sons. As the interview proceeded, I was amazed by the level of interest in the conversation. Clearly, the subject strikes a chord with professionals in our industry.

One of the questions that came up in the middle of our conversation was something that I myself have struggled with: how do you maintain work-life balance when your job requires frequent travel? As we discussed this question with Mitch and his sons, we discovered something interesting. While Mitch did travel quite a bit while they were growing up, his boys didn't really feel like he was gone. How is that the case?

One thing Mitch often did that I found interesting was brining home souvenirs for his kids. The idea here is that when you are intentional enough to bring something home from your travels, it means that you are actually thinking about your family while your gone. Besides that, there are no secrets. Maintaining work-life balance while traveling is exactly what you would expect: calling to check in every chance you get and taking the earliest flight possible to get back home so you don't miss a thing.

In the end, it really all boils down to priorities. If you want something bad enough, you'll make sure to get it. If your family is really important to you, you'll show it by making time for them.