A couple years ago, I went out and bought a new camping trailer. This trailer, like many other recreational 5th wheels, has a battery that powers it. But this battery isn’t like the battery that you would find in a car, motorcycle, snowmobile, or even a flashlight. This battery is called a deep-cycle battery.
What’s different about this battery? The difference is that this battery is designed to fluctuate. It’s meant to go through a cycle of low charge and high charge as it’s used, while maintaining a long battery life. The key to making sure this happens, however, is maintenance. This battery requires more than just typical maintenance – keeping it out of extreme temperatures, maintaining fluids, etc. – it also requires maintenance of the charge. To maintain my battery, I use a device called a battery trickle-charger.
This charger doesn’t give a big charge all at once, like jumping does. Instead, this charger is put on the battery and then left there. It gives a charge when it senses the charge in your battery decreasing, and stops when no additional charge is needed. It charges in small amounts over a period of time. It doesn’t bring a battery up to a full charge from a low charge, but merely maintains the charge. While it may seem tedious, this is necessary for the maintenance of the battery. If I didn’t do this, I would have spent a lot of money on something that wouldn’t last very long.
Similarly, we all have an “internal battery” that needs to be charged. We have emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental needs that need to be met. Certainly, there comes a point where each of us needs a jump start – a vacation, a break, some time to just set everything aside and relax. But those breaks aren’t what will keep us going in the long run. We also need regular self-care to keep ourselves happy, healthy, and motivated. Each of us needs time each day and each week to make sure our inner charge is topped off. Make the time now, if you haven’t already, before you pay the price later!
For more information on this subject, please listen to The Appraiser Coach Podcast Episode:
Are You Scheduling Your Tender Time?
