I have my dream job, working for my favorite sport with a challenging role that keeps me growing. But even the best jobs can make work-life balance difficult. While I knew it was important to find times to check out of work, it is very easy to just check back in while carrying a phone around. I didn’t have an interest in meditation or yoga or training for a marathon. This year I found my time away in the form of riding an electric skateboard to and from work.

I live about 4 miles away from my office, which takes about 20 minutes to drive here in LA. The weather is nice, the roads well maintained and the busy streets have bike lanes. This all set up nicely for switching my commute to a ride on an electric skateboard. My route on the board takes about 25 minutes and gives me the “check out” time I needed.

It doesn’t steal time away from work or family since I needed to commute anyway. It is an exciting activity that feels like a vacation. And it is just dangerous enough that it requires my full attention, so there is no time to think about other things. It is also athletic, which keeps me motivated to eat right and exercise.

While I have tried skateboarding and snowboarding before, I was no expert. So this also gave me the mental challenge of learning a new skill. That excitement of improving at some activity, researching it to learn more and practicing has given me additional energy in all of my day’s activities. And my kids have joined in on the fun too giving us a group activity on the weekends. I know many people who have found their hobbies and passions that keep them balanced and happy. I’m late to that party, but am embracing it wholeheartedly now.

Many cities are promoting alternative forms of transportation and this can easily be combined with public transportation to bridge that last mile. It is light enough to carry with you. And you just plug it in to a standard outlet to charge it back up.

I’m not sure what your interests are, but I’m here to remind you that finding time for it will have an overall positive impact on your work-life balance. Feel free to direct message me if you want to know more about my experiences with the electric skateboard.