I am an overbooker. I will pretty much always try to cram more in a span of time than I could possibly actually accomplish. It is not necessarily in any given time frame, just in general. For example, right now I have 10 active listings, 5 pending contracts, an 8 month old, a 5 year old that WANTS to be with me, a wife that wants me around AND a fireworks tent that is very demanding of my time and attention. I am also trying to get one of my houses rented out. To say that I am busy is an understatement. I was busy before the fireworks tent. Why do I do this? One reason is that I enjoy it. I enjoy the activity and the people. The other reason is that I have a hard time turning down "opportunity".
The problem is that I forget to pay attention to the opportunities that don't ask, they just exist--like my 5 year old. I forget that he is only 5 once and he only loves his daddy like a 5 year old once. Soon he will think I am old and out of touch and know nothing. Soon he will only love me for my keys and wallet. Now he loves me just because I am his dad and his ultimate super hero. I have to make time for him and for my wife and my daughter. Everything else is a waste if I squander these "ever present" opportunities.
What's my point other than the self-guilt trip? Don't overbook yourself on things that don't matter in the end. Make it a priority to include those that matter the most in your plans. And finally, do as I say, not as I do. I am guilty of taking my family for granted in the name of "I have to work" but I am trying to do better.
2 comments:
As a multi-unit manager in automotive retail, as you well know, I to am also guilty of taking my family time for granted. There are "normal" months where I get 3, 5 days work weeks, but some months where I'm lucky to get 2 days off the entire month. I stress to all your readers...take the time to quiet your mind and relax with the family. Ferris Bueller said it best, "Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around every once in a while, you could miss it."
I once had to tell my very dear husband that if you don't spend time with them while they are little and maybe not as "fun" as he liked that he would find that when they became "fun" they would spend their time somewhere else. We made the mistake of being too busy earning a living that all of us missed out on precious family time. So do make your family a priority. Spend time with them. Enjoy the simple things with your children while they are young.
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