A major part of reducing stress and supporting yourself is coming up with a “resource team” of people that you can rely on to support you in all aspects of your life.Think of it like your 360° team. You can assemble a quality and supportive group of advisors and providers that can assist you, save you time, improve your life, help you grow and maximize your best self and living conditions. They position all around you, in all facets of your life, enclosing and “bubble-wrapping” your life.Over time, you’ll have amassed a group of people who can cover every aspect of your life. You’ll be able to turn to them when you need them, get the help you need, and be on your way.These will be people that want to support you and genuinely want to see you succeed in life. They are people who have your best interest at heart, and will be there for you when you need them.They offer you skills and resources that you can't get on your own. Many will offer an outside perspective on your situation and, hopefully, more constructive criticism to help you grow.

Your 360° team would include, but are not limited to:

• Financial services: planner or advisor (fee-only is recommended); CPA or accountant; bank contact person; legal advisor; estate planning attorney for legal documents like will, power of attorney, etc.

• Insurance agent/advisor: for home, auto, health, disability, life insurance

• Child care service providers: babysitters; day care providers; pediatrician

• Health and well-being: personal trainer; diet coach; nutritionist; yoga instructor; massage therapist; acupuncturist

• Technology: computer repairman; software specialist; Apple “Genius” or Apple Care Specialist

• Medical: primary care physician/physician assistant; other specialist; psychiatrist; hospital back up

• Emotional: your spouse; a trusted friend or family member; counselor or therapist

• Spiritual: spiritual advisor; clergyman, priest, rabbi, imam, shaman, etc.

• Professional: mentor or career advisor; trusted colleagues; small business coach; others in your field you can connect with

• Hobbies/Interest: travel advisor; “activity friends”; book club friends; sports coach or trainer; language teacher; dance instructor

• Domestic: housecleaners; dry cleaners; trusted handyman; HVAC repairmen; home security provider; bottled water distributor; auto repairman; house painter; dog sitting service provider for vacations

• Emergency support team: to call in a crunch

These people are the best at what they do, and the best people for you. These are people that you have thoroughly vetted, like Cabinet members. They are people you can call in a crisis, and would be responsive to your needs in a pinch. They show up on time, talk straight with you, and don’t bring any funny business to your life. These are people you trust.

Do You Feel Better or Worse with Members of Your Team?
Your team doesn’t leave you feeling depleted - they make you feel fulfilled.If you’re feeling like you’re not getting what you need from the person or provider, have a conversation with them about the fact that things aren’t working for you, and that you’d like to see a change. If you think, or have a gut sense, that any of the people on your team aren’t working for you, and that things won’t change or get better with this person, replace them with someone that will work and support you unconditionally.The benefits to building at 360° team are that you save time, money, and help you figure out the best way to do things for yourself. The right team will guide you in the way that's best for you, saving you the expense of struggling to figure it out on your own.

Is The Expense Worth It?
Some are hired hands, and others are just part of your life. If the cost of hiring a team member saves you resources in other ways, it probably would justify the expense of working with them. For those you’re not hiring, like family, friends and spouse/significant other, how can you promote the relationship so that it’s mutually beneficial for both of you?I’ve used Yelp and Angie’s List for a long time to find people, and tend to use Yelp a lot more these days to find local providers. I don’t use Craigslist. Yelp usually works well, but not always. Word-of-mouth still is the best, old-fashioned way to get in touch with people that can be on my support team. For business, I like elance.com and fiver.com for smaller tasks, and now that taskrabbit.com is in Phoenix, I may start to use them, as well. meetup.com is still good to meet friends and activity partners, if you’re looking to expand your social network.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

• Who do have in your life right now that you would consider a staple of your 360° team?

• What areas of your life could use more support or help?

• What values do I have in my life that someone could help me fulfill? Examples: better health; want to be comfortable in retirement; wanting to find my professional passion; want to spend more time with family

• Who do you need to reassess or replace on your team?

• What resources are you lacking (time, help, advice) or what conditions are you afflicted with (stress, overwhelmed, poor health, etc.) that someone could help with?

• Will spending the money to hire “x” provider bring me more: time for my family? Time for myself? Freedom? Stress management? Happiness? Will it be worth it for me to hire them?

Finding the Right Team for You
Interview people. Get to know them. Ask questions of them before you commit to bringing them onto your team, or hiring them. Will they fit for you? Will they meet your needs not just now, but in the long term? Do their skills match your personality type? Will they show up?

Can you create a relationship that will work with them, and that will benefit you and your family?It takes time and money to fill up your team, but the benefits are myriad. If you can hand-pick the right people to support you, you’ll be thanking yourself for finding them, and will be creating a lot more ease and happiness for yourself, and your family.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Men’s counseling , or if counseling might be right for you, please feel free to contact me directly or visit our Men’s counseling page for detail.