Did Your Family Go On Summer Vacation Without You?
Growing up, summers were a blast! There was always so much to look forward to. Whether it was more frequent trips to the beach or practicing our dives and belly-flops at a friend’s pool or camping somewhere along California’s gorgeous coastline or heading to see the Colorado cousins. I can honestly say that my childhood summers were close to perfect, almost idyllic.
The one thing though that would have made them complete, is if my Dad had been able to join us more often.
The majority of my childhood my Dad was building two businesses. He worked hard to provide for our family of six. But in doing so, it meant that he often didn’t join us at the beach, or only came camping on the weekends, or met us in Colorado for one of the weeks we were there.
As I reflect back on this, I know he did the best he knew how. But, I have to be honest with you, I sure do wish that he’d had a business coach who would’ve helped him plan better, strategize more, identify his core convictions more thoroughly, and work through his calendar and teach him how to maximize and prioritize his time.
Knowing what I know now, I’m confident that if he’d had the kind of support and accountability that my Building Champions colleagues and I provide to our clients, that he would not have missed out on so much, and our summer vacations would have been even more amazing.
I say this with confidence because one of my colleagues just helped his client take her first real and unplugged vacation with her family in 13 years. Another former client of ours just took a 4-week vacation to Europe with his wife and was completely free of work obligations while there.
These, and similar successes, happen because, as coaches, we help our clients be intentional about where they spend their time and how they make their decisions.
Did you miss out on time with your family this summer and want to make sure it doesn’t happen again next summer?
Here are some ideas and resources to help you not miss your next family vacation:
1. Greg McKeown’s new book, Essentialism, speaks to the value of disciplined prioritization.
2. Lysa TerKeurst’s new book, The Best Yes, speaks to rising above the endless demands for a woman’s time and attention.
3. I, or one of my colleagues at Building Champions, would love to engage with you through coaching and help you become more intentional and purposeful.
What are you going to do differently so that you don’t miss summer vacation next year?
