Top 100 broker says he switches off from work by doing this focused activity
It can be hard to maintain a healthy work/life balance as a broker. Not only do they work around the clock to find solutions for their clients, many are now experiencing a heightened challenge of the pandemic – the blurring of work and home time. While he admits to not having the best work/life balance himself, managing director of Trilogy Funding David Thomas says he makes regular time each week to completely switch off from his job through doing highly focused activities.
Switching off from work
Like many top brokers, Thomas works pretty long hours; often starting as early as 5.30am and finishing as late as 8.30pm.
“I don’t have a work/life balance.”
“My life is very much work-focused with very long hours and very small breaks through the year.”
“But when I do take time off, it’s 100% time off, with no client contact, no emails and no mobile phone. It’s the only way to have a break and spend quality time with your family.”
But this type of downtime is easier said than done for many people – even without client contact it can be difficult to switch off completely and remove all thoughts of work from the mind.
The thrill of mountain biking
A few years ago, some friends introduced Thomas to the thrill of mountain biking. It was something he slowly got into before making it a weekly commitment.
“I live in Canberra. We’re surrounded by nature, we’re surrounded by some of the country’s best mountain bike trails and Thredbo is two hours away.”
He says mountain biking allows him to get out into nature and take a complete break from the world of work for an hour or two in order to recharge.
“I ride a little bit of downhill and you can’t really be trying to do jumps whilst you’re thinking about client files.”
“It’s a very distinct break.”
He also enjoys boxing for the same reason.
“When you’re sparring with someone, you can’t be distracted by anything else.”
Thomas says he does these activities for one or two hours at least three times a week.
Networking on a different level
He also uses mountain biking as an opportunity to network; inviting clients, lawyers and accountants to join him on a regular basis.
“We all go out for a ride and have a laugh.”
“Although it’s networking, it’s not networking where you’re trying to ask them for a referral – you’re just creating a relationship.”
“Once your referral partner’s broken his bike and you’ve had to fix it on a trail or walk out through 2kms worth of scrub to get back to the car together, you form a pretty strong bond.”
