Yesterday, my daughter pulled my finger as we crossed the street and a car approached the intersection. When we made it safely to the other side, she turned and said to me, "Daddy, I saved you." I was never afraid that we would not make it to the other sidewalk. We were too far ahead of the oncoming car to feel threatened. Nonetheless, I went along with her victory.
My daughter was full of pride as we continued our walk toward ballet class. I listened, as she talked more: "I love you. You're the best daddy alive, and I wouldn't want anything to ever happen to you." While smiling on the outside, my soul said to me, “this is success.”
With our jobs, entrepreneurial ventures, school assignments and other important activities, it is feasible not to recognize the small gifts of life that frequently surround us in abundance
Too often we look for success and happiness in people, places, and things outside of ourselves, family, and friends. We want approval from our boss and seek recognition through pay raises. It is also common to define success by the type of home we own and the community where we reside. With our jobs, entrepreneurial ventures, school assignments and other important activities, it is feasible not to recognize the small gifts of life that frequently surround us in abundance. Notice, I used we in this paragraph, because I am also guilty of these actions and occasionally fail to acknowledge the simple every day accomplishments or moments like yesterday with my daughter.
In the past seven days, I have experienced some triumphs and multiple challenges. Last Saturday, my wife and I were blessed to purchase the children new shoes. Yesterday, my publisher sent me the first formatted version of my book. This week, I also received news that I did not get selected for two jobs that would have pushed my business and family forward. This week was a tough week where it was easy to ignore the positivity in our lives and dwell on everything that went wrong.
Yesterday, I had to channel my inner discipline to stop, think, and appreciate my daughter’s words. As an entrepreneur, I frequently feel consumed by my work. There is always something to do that can potentially serve others and return a profit. However, reminding myself to be more mindful and making time at the start of each week to create a weekly schedule has become extremely beneficial in maintaining sanity!
On Sunday mornings, I schedule the most critical business tasks, self-care activities, and family-related responsibilities. Yes, frequently challenges do occur. The time I allocate for an assignment takes longer than I expect or the kids have an unexpected day off from school. It is difficult to accomplish everything that I desire to in the allocated time. However, disciplining myself to identify my weekly goals and creating a schedule that supports them has been critical to the progress I have seen in my life.
Throughout March my goal is to create content that inspires others to practice more self-discipline in their lives. If you apply the strategies that I suggest, they will enable you to manage your work responsibilities better and have more mindful time with loved ones. Practicing more self-discipline can empower you to define success and happiness for yourself. Please stay connected with me through this blog and social media outlets for inspiration and strategy applicable to your life.
If you need help with implementing these strategies, explore my personal development coaching options.
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