How Advisors Can Prioritize Wellness and Family Time
When I launched my practice 22 years ago, I had young children at home. I decided to do something most people were not: I took every Friday off in the summer to ensure I had time with my boys. Taking a long vacation wasn’t feasible, but this was manageable and set the tone for the family-centered culture behind the name Mitlin Financial.
Far too many advisors allow the desk to run them, resulting in countless moments missed in their family’s life. Time with loved ones isn’t guaranteed. I know all too well how precious time with loved ones is; my mother, the ‘Lin’ in Mitlin, battled breast cancer since my early teenage years and ultimately died in her 40s.
My summer schedule was a deliberate decision rooted in my desire to spend time with my wife and kids. I was intentional in stepping away from work at a time in my career when many advisors feel pressure to push harder, work longer and always be available for clients. Now that my boys are adults and I look back on the experience of watching them grow up, I wouldn’t trade anything for the memories of a quiet aquarium on a Friday morning or the countless hockey tournaments we attended as a family. Being a lifecycle practice in those early years was a conscious choice, and those memories outweigh any professional success I could have had.
Lead by Example
According to the American Heart Association, disconnecting from work can help support heart health right alongside emotional well-being. Research available through the National Library of Medicine suggests that detaching from work might increase productivity. It’s not indulgent to intentionally step away from work; it’s self-care.
My clients respect my stance on carving out time to spend with my family, and my hope is that I’m leading by example.
We recently brought on a new client who revealed she had watched me online for years. My online presence often shows me with my family. After working with us for a few months, she said to me, “If you can be present and take care of your children, I know you can take care of mine.”
That means the world to me. I want my clients to live lives that bring them joy, and I speak to them about their priorities and encourage them to consider the importance of wellness and family. I learned early in my career that the people we serve understand the value of a family-first mindset and, as a result, we continue to attract new clients who share that belief.
Stay Passionate About Your Purpose
Financial advisors are susceptible to burnout and losing passion for their work for a number of reasons. An overwhelming workload, an unpredictable schedule and a robust roster of families we serve can quickly start to wear on advisors. If you want to be there for your clients, you need to first be there for yourself and make your health and wellness a priority.
Staying active not only reduces stress levels, but it also helps me be the best version of myself. If you don’t have an outlet like running or going to the gym, find an activity that you enjoy and build it into your day. I intentionally schedule exercise time just like I would any other appointment; this ensures it is treated as a priority, not an afterthought.
I also find it important to unplug during vacations and be as present as possible with my family. If I do need to work, just like my workouts, I schedule time on the calendar when I’ll be working remotely to ensure critical tasks can be addressed.
Build Healthy Habits
I structure my day in a way that best serves me. My Calendly is programmed with built-in buffers, which prevent me from having back-to-back meetings. I show up as my best self for each family I serve, and managing my calendar helps with that.
If I allowed myself to be over-scheduled, I know it wouldn’t leave room for me to be at my best, so I avoid a chaotic schedule whenever possible. Successfully managing my calendar is one of the healthiest habits I’ve developed in my career.
In addition to exercise, I have moved towards eating cleaner and caring more about what goes into my body. If it’s a busy workday, I meal plan so I have healthy meals I can take on the go and pack healthy snacks when traveling. I try to plan for those moments when I might reach for an unhealthy snack and instead fuel myself with good ingredients. We also started stocking the office with an array of healthy snacks for the team.
While meal planning and managing my calendar help build good habits in the office, I also schedule time to enjoy myself outside of the office. Whether it’s my son’s hockey game or a New York Rangers game, I intentionally add them to my calendar to ensure I have time to watch a sport that brings me joy.
Maintain a Healthy Perspective
A common mistake advisors make is falling into the trap of thinking that they should do everything at their practice. They fear that if they’re not running everything, it will all fall apart. The truth is that your practice is worth more if it doesn’t require you; you should be able to step away to spend time with your family and know that your team has everything under control because of the procedures you’ve put in place.
Getting the right team in place can be a game-changer, not only for your own well-being but also for scaling your practice. With the right team in place, instead of a “This place would fall apart without me,” mentality, you can adopt the healthier perspective: “I’ve built a solid team here and not everything rides on my shoulders.”
Building a relationship with a recruiter can help with building that team. Partner with someone who takes the time to understand the type of candidates you’re looking for, and more importantly, who will be a good fit beyond what’s on their resume.
Enjoy the Journey
Financial advisors help clients achieve their financial goals. It’s important that both advisors and clients learn to enjoy the journey and to look beyond the numbers and consider their well-being in every decision they make. This month, I encourage you to evaluate your habits. In honor of National Wellness Month, try to incorporate a couple of new healthy habits between now and the rest of the year. Your family, your clients,and most importantly, your future self, will thank you.
