The Zito ClanMy wife Nicole, My Mom Pat, Me and Fenway in Daytona Beach at the USTA state championships.

Lake Wales Tennis Team

My tennis family and friends competing at Daytona Beach, Florida.

I started playing tennis 2 years ago.
When I started I wasn’t that good.
Ok, I stunk.

One of the senior players at my tennis club told me I had the worst volley game (shots you hit when you are close to the net) he had ever seen and that it was best if I just moved back to the baseline.
Was he tough on me? Hell yeah.
This guy is 75 and in superior condition.
He is a player.
He is ranked in the top 25 of all the seniors in the state of Florida.
I liked him right away and appreciated his tough love.

He taught me how to position myself on the court.
He would draw lines on the court and tell me, “Get your ass here.”
I am fortunate our tennis pro had me play with him early on.
He helped me become a better player.

I thrive on adversity. It’s what moves me as a competitor.
Adversity makes you a better entrepreneur.
I like being in the trenches, the underdog.
I like to scrap and fight.

I feel I am now one of the better players at the club.
I get to play on court #3 that’s where the 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0’s play.
My backhand is strong and my volley’s at the net are my core strength.
I am aggressive and attack at the net.

“Just bring your heat,” I say to myself waiting for the ball to come my way.
The faster the ball moves the better I play and the quicker I react.
I love pace.

Our tennis club is like a family.
Everyone genuinely cares for one another.
One of my friends and probably the fiercest competitor we have recently found out that he has cancer.
The cancer is all throughout his body.

I was really upset when I heard and called him immediately.
We had a good talk and he told me something I’d like to share with you.

He said, “in the face of my mortality I’ve learned I need to live a life of balance, God first, my wife second, my children third and my friends fourth. I previously didn’t have the order balanced correctly.”

I could relate to my friend about balance for sure.
My mortality no but life balance yeah.

As an entrepreneur I realize there have been many times in my life that I didn’t have balance.

The business, money, and ideas would come first before my wife and family.
As I’ve gotten older I think I’ve become more balanced but I know I sill have work to do.

What does it mean to be balanced?

I don’t think I have the answer to that question but my friend articulated it pretty well. You prioritize your life. For him it was his faith then people.

Yesterday I was playing tennis with another friend and afterwards he said something really interesting.

“The only thing we do know is that we will die. It’s a given. We don’t know when but we will all die.”

As entrepreneurs we live mostly in the unknown. We build and create our future but every day there is something new around the corner. Life is constantly moving and changing.

Are you living a balanced life?

If the doctor told you tomorrow you were going to die very shortly would you feel good about the life you are living?

What would a more balanced life look like for you?

Here are some things I’ve done recently that you can start doing today. This will help you live a more balanced life.

1. Say thank you to someone once a day. If your running a company with employees and staff say thanks each day to one of your staff members. If you outsource your work write one email to someone thanking them for helping you build your business.
2. Take a walk with your wife, spouse or companion 1x a week for 45-minutes to 1 hour in the early morning or after work in the evening.
3. Invite your mother or father to go with you to an event or something special where you can spend time bonding together.
4. Volunteer 1x a month in a local community organization or mentor a younger person in your community about entrepreneurship.
5. Tell your close friends and family that you love them.