Third generation Santa Monica resident, Jeff Condon, has led a life dedicated to mindfulness and consistency. Born and raised in our beloved town, Jeff had what he’d call an “old school upbringing.”
When he wasn’t playing in the streets until dinnertime with his friends, this local watched the daily programming on channel 52 or his favorite, the Saturday morning cartoons. It was in the sophomore year of high school, though, when Jeff would find an interest that would ultimately mean the world to him: swimming.
Jeff joined the water polo and swim teams in tenth grade and, since then, has dedicated himself to his morning swims. Most would applaud what he would call an addiction a steadfast commitment to a routine.
However, when I asked Jeff why his morning swims were so important, he stated, “Whatever problems I have when I go to sleep, that all washes away when I get into the water.”
This might sound relaxing, but to Jeff, it is anything but. He actually dreads the 4:40 a.m. phone alarm and the prospect of hard and exhausting swim
sets, but he believes that it earns him the right to relax later in the day.
As he graduated high school and went on to Santa Monica College, and eventually UCLA, Jeff was dedicated to his studies as an English major.
Constantly writing papers, he couldn’t fathom having the time for anything else. Jeff applied the writing skills he gleaned from his college years later when he coauthored a best-selling book on inheritance planning with his father, and another on his own. The Wall Street Journal later reviewed the first book as “the best estate planning book in America.”
After attending UCLA, Jeff obtained his law degree at Whittier College. He has always known he would go into his family business, estate planning, and he has put in 35 incredible years of work since then. Jeff truly enjoys what he does and believes it is of utmost importance to “help people when they need it the most.”
Jeff enjoys his client interactions to the point of turning down an offer to buy his practice that was made about five years ago. But, Jeff is not his job, and he
really enjoys his downtime. As Jeff says, “Doing nothing is an acquired skill.” He values his weekends and life’s small pleasures, which he shares with his new wife, Kimberly.
Between getting in his daily swim, dining out, museum-going, and simply reading the newspapers (including this paper) on his couch with the television on as background, the star of today’s column would consider his life as very fulfilled. Read our other article about Jeff Condon regarding his myriad of motivations for his daily early morning swimming.
By Corinne Pagan