Too often in my coaching practice, my clients who are advisors become complacent with their business growth and their monthly numbers. These are typically higher-producing advisors who regularly rank among their companies' monthly leaders. They swagger into my office boasting about summer jaunts with their families, new cars and new captain's licenses. They are, of course, sporting great tans. And if they have been fortunate enough to not lose their summer homes to foreclosure, they are breathing a bit easier this year.

It is human nature to coast on the job sometimes and lose some of the drive and passion. After all, the weather is finally nice and the office seems like a distraction from relaxing in the sun. Many advisors have weathered some scary markets recently and have started to feel a little safer after so many industry jobs were shed earlier this year. As much as they deserve time away to relish the fact that they have survived to be a top advisor for another summer, my message to them around the Fourth of July each year is to continue to work as if the pool of prospective investors is becoming depleted. With so much competition for the wealthiest investors along with the uncertainty that our markets and struggling economy bring, it is not so far-fetched to think there really could be an empty "new client pool" in the near future.

Every summer for the past six years, I have played centerfield for a semi- professional baseball team in New York. Despite being nearly a decade older than most of my teammates, I depend on the game for stress relief on weekends and to serve as a competitive outlet. The thought of not having it available to me each spring inspires a strong sense of fear and determination to never allow this to be taken away.

If advisors want to enjoy their lives and jobs, they must find ways to take some control over the elements that conspire to take away their most prized possessions. There will always be another advisor who wants your next potential client, or one willing to take the long drive to see a prospect two hours away. If you are starting to feel as if summertime is your justification to slow down, think again. You are not an elementary school teacher. The summer offers prime networking opportunities and the time to get out from behind your desk and conduct better service for regular clients. This is your wake-up call to go from good to great.

John is a 42-year-old advisor who is a regular coaching client of mine. He requires these "awakenings" on a quarterly basis. He is tired from his regular commute, helping out with his two kids at home after work and the office politics that swirl around him on a daily basis. His default is to become a compulsive traveler away from the office when he gets frustrated. He takes fewer risks in the transactional side of his business during these times, rendering his hungriest clients dismayed and confused about his ability to make them money. He comes to work later and leaves earlier, relying on his team's junior advisors to pick up the slack. John knows what he is risking, but has the amazing ability to rationalize his conduct. I spent four sessions holding him accountable for getting back his hunger, when he least wanted it. Below are a few of the lessons I imparted to him.

Talk the Talk...

This is a business in which your reputation means everything. You will be respected by your team, manager and clients if you show focus and ambition in building your business. Everyone wants to be around the rainmakers of each branch, so why not be that person? If you appear to your clients to always be away on vacation or relaxing too much, it may come across to them as indifference about their money. If your actions speak of success and dedication to their accounts, your clients will appreciate your hard work and referrals will come.

...Walk the Walk...

As a financial advisor, you must not forget that your clients have given you the responsibility of watching their money and making it grow. If you respect yourself as a professional, you won't take that privilege lightly. You will respect the value you offer them and give their accounts the attention they deserve year-round. John needed to drill down on what his value was for his clients, and reexamine how much nurturing each of them needed.

...And Take Calculated Risks

When John stopped taking risks, he stopped making money for his clients. He wanted a vacation from risk-taking and just sat on his hands as the weather warmed up. Consequently, his transactional business started to suffer and his referrals dropped for his fee-based business. He was placing all of his clients' accounts on autopilot. I reminded him that he could not make money without taking risks. His clients weren't looking for him to simply baby-sit their money. He needed to make their money work to earn his keep. Otherwise, they would have no reason to do business with him. I advised him to get to the office earlier and do some market research before the bell.

Remember: Good performance will not guarantee a secure future in this business, nor will it get you to close a top prospect. The great ones seem to finish the year in first place and keep charging. They end up with the prize because they are infused with the fear that their futures are at stake and that someone is out to take away their success. Peace of mind and relaxation are luxuries earned by the best advisors. They respect themselves for the hard work that it took to get them to a high level and they defend the health of their businesses on a daily basis. They don't stop barbecuing on weekends in the Hamptons. They just work hard all week and feel good about themselves on Friday afternoon. Do the same and you will be just like the greatest in the business.