There are 104 weekend days in the year.
My goal is to miss not more than 18 of those with my kids. And if I miss one, it better be in service of the other ambitions in my life.
If you’re going to get me on a weekend, it is going to have to be an incredible opportunity.
An opportunity to be in a room.
An opportunity to work on a very special innovation or a critical improvement.
An opportunity to achieve a personal ambition.
And I will always tell my kids why I’m doing that. So that I can model a life that they can decide which parts they want to follow and which they want to leave behind.
I will also make time for the first day of school. And other incredible adventures to crystalize the time.
Work-Life Harmony is never easy.
Especially as an entrepreneur.
3 things have helped me:
1. Intention – I live by my personal aim and the eulogy virtues I aspire to.
2. Metrics – To keep me honest. How many nights was I home for supper and bedtime. How many extracurriculars am I there for? How many notes of gratitude have I sent out?
I find that without metrics, the anecdote wins the day. With metrics, context helps me see the bigger picture.
3. Reflection – My partner, Emily Dugas, and I get away every 90 days. We ask ourselves the hard questions. Are we steering the ship where we want to, as a couple, as a family, and as individuals? Do we need to change any thing?
We’re in a season of change and that reflection becomes even more important now as a grounding exercise.
