Treat Your Children Like Your Best Clients
Learn how to make time for your family while you are busy achieving and performing in the workplace.
In this fast paced busy world it becomes very easy to postpone things that really matter to us. We can always take that ski trip next year, or go to the school play next time. Work takes over and life gets postponed. If we are lucky, we get some type of wake up call that causes us to stop and reflect – and perhaps redesign our life so that we can have it all.
One of my high performing clients felt stressed and burnt out and agonized frequently about missing out on time with his seven year old son. At the speed at which life was moving his son might be going to college before he had time for some quality conversations and time on the slopes. I asked him this question: “What would change if you treated your son as you would your most valued client”?
It was an A-ha moment!
Here is how this might work. What happens when a client wants to schedule something with you? You check your calendar and the answer is either “Yes, I can do that” or “I wish I could, but would Thursday work instead?”
Now, try this – when you would like to plan a ski trip or an outing for the day – when someone wants to meet with you, say you are booked! After all, your son or daughter is waiting….
I have considered whether this is an ethical approach but to my way of thinking, if you are delivering on expectations, then this is a fair trade. It is unfortunate that it’s such a struggle to carve out family time. For women, wanting to go to a child’s event at school might give the message that she is not devoted to her job. But if she herself is comfortable that she is giving her best by working smart, then perhaps she will be more motivated, satisfied, and recharged by showing up at the school event.
The message is – design your life the way you want it – life is short and you can choose to have it all. Treat those you care about, including yourself, as a valued client for a week (starting now) and see how much more joy you’ll create for yourself.
