Finding ways to create balance in our life is critical to our success. Much of the time we feel our success is created by working an extra 10 hours a week or not taking a vacation. In reality, the greatest success is when we learn to say NO and make choices that serve our higher priority system. We need to weigh the outcome of our choices and set up criteria for our decisions.
As an example:
A while back, I had the opportunity to attend 6 business conferences in one quarter. At first glance, all of them had great value and I would have gained knowledge from each. In addition, they all involved relationships with great colleagues and mentors in my life that would serve me from a relationship perspective. But then I dug deeper into the cost. Not the economic cost (although this was a consideration), but into the life cost. The cost of my family, my time, my business, my priorities, etc. After careful consideration, I realized consciously that it was my daughters’ final soccer season, and she would be off to college the following fall. It was going to be the last season I could watch her play soccer and have the opportunity to see her running down the field and being part of a team. That year, this became my priority by which I made other decisions for anything that pulled me away on weekends.
This does not mean that I made each game. This does not mean that I didn’t make personal sacrifices for the sake of sound business decisions that supported my career and my livelihood that year. However, it gave me a template by which to make great choices and let go of the good ones. Through this and other similar experiences, I have learned a few things that I wanted to share:
- There is no shortage of opportunities. Just a shortage of great ones. The more we say NO to the good ones, the more we open ourselves up to the great ones.
- Make your family a priority. I spent years apologizing for missing business opportunities to attend my kids’ football and soccer games. I have given up apologizing and realized those were the best decisions I ever made. When your kids grow up and go off to college and careers, you realize there are no do-over’s.
- Each day we wake up and can make new and better choices. So don’t live life with regret. Just wake up and make the best choices you can make for your life today. Let tomorrow go and live the best life possible today.
- When you are at work…WORK. Focus your attention and work your a** off. I view work fairly simply. Do the absolute best job I can do each and every day. Give it my total committed attention and focus. Make as much money as I can doing it and have as much fun along the way as possible. My goal every day is to build the best relationships possible, as this serves my life in the greatest way on every human level. And most importantly, give back to all in my path with everything I got. LIVE LIFE and PLAY FULL OUT!
- And, when you get home…pay attention. Particularly if you have kids. Love, laugh, spend time with the kids, their friends, know what they are doing, what they like and who their friends are. But most of all…LOVE THEM. That’s all they really need. Actually, that is all any of us need.
- Lastly, put yourself first. We tend to put ourselves last. If we are to be present for all those that need us and count on us, we must take care of ourselves first, without guilt. Schedule time for yourself to get a massage, work-out, take a walk, go to the spa, have wine with a friend, read a book, be still…tapping into ourselves and taking care of our health first is the key to all the rest of the joys in life. Honor YOU!
Committed to your success,
