Last year I attended a presentation from Parenting Expert and well-known author, Stephen Biddulph on "Raising Boys". As I have an 11 year old son, I was interested to hear what Stephen had to say. In fact, so were the other 800 other parents in the room!
The key point that I picked up on was that boys from the age of 6 -14 really need 'time' with their dads. That is the most influential period in their lives when they bond with him. And the type of time they need is not all thrown into a once a week or month block or some exotic holiday once a year, they need to spend time with their sons on a regular basis. Otherwise how can you build a strong and stable relationship?
For the single mums reading this, don't despair. If you are estranged from your partner and bringing up your son is your responsibility, having a positive male role model in his life ie. uncle, brother, grandfather teacher, tennis coach etc. will work as well.
What's happening in our society in the chase for the almighty dollar and in many instances the big ego, our relationships are breaking down. People are totally dominated by their work and have little energy to invest in themselves and their families.
Planning Personal Time
It's very interesting to note that every client I have coached ? male or female, whether they are the business owner, director, executive or whatever title they hold, all have the same common goal... they want more time for their personal life.
They do not want to start work at 7.30 a.m. and return home at 7.00 p.m. They are committed and enjoy what they do, however they are not prepared to sacrifice their own relationships and wellbeing anymore. THE PRICE IS NOT WORTH IT!
You Can Turn Your Life Around
And do you know what the three key things you need to do to turn your life around? Learn to say 'no', how to manage your time and then take action.
That's right. Everyone tells you how busy and how little time they have, yet most people do nothing to learn the skills that will have a dramatic impact on their work and personal lives.
You have to plan time to get things done. Do you want to spend more time with your family? Do you know how to plan for it? How much time do you spend working? How much time do you invest in yourself to learn how to be more effective? Are you hoping that one day, work will ease off and then you can spend more time with your family? Do you really need a bigger house, nicer car or overseas holiday? Will that improve your relationships? Do you think that you'll (hopefully) stumble on the secrets to getting more time back in your life? If that's the way you live your life, your kids will probably be all grown up and not really need you.
Cats in the Cradle
For those of you old enough to remember, Cat Stevens recorded a song called "Cats in the Cradle". It was about a young boy whose Dad was always busy working. He never seemed to be available when his son wanted to be with him. Over the years this continued until the boy became an adult. By then his Dad had retired and had time on his hands, however his son had now become too busy to see his Dad. He too was working and had kids. The tables had turned. All of a sudden the Dad realised what he had done. He was too busy caught up in his work and missed out on his son growing up.
The Final Word
For those of you who have managed to maintain a good balance in your life, congratulations. No doubt you are happier, healthier and more fulfilled. For the rest of you who are unhappy, unhealthy and unfulfilled, then you need to take action if you are serious about wanting to make changes. Do it, because nothing changes if nothing changes!
About The Author
Lorraine Pirihi, principal of The Office Organiser is Australia's Personal Productivity Coach.
Lorraine specialises in working with businesspeople showing them how to dramatically boost their productivity, reduce the stress and the mess in their lives and have more time for enjoying their life. www.office-organiser.com.au, www.office-organiser.com.au
Airbnb cleaning service Arlington Heights ..We hear it every day."Buy this product, and simplify your... Read More
What's in a Name?Everything.What do you do with all the... Read More
One of my mother-in-law's many oft-quoted and wise declarations was... Read More
Technology has given us the tools to reduce routine tasking,... Read More
Collections are the outward manifestation of a deeply-felt principle or... Read More
1) It's easy to have a good clear out: Not... Read More
'A well-ordered life is like climbing a tower; the view... Read More
Questions come my way all the time regarding my God-given... Read More
Time has flown. It's been six months since you came... Read More
How to do keep track of all you have to... Read More
Home organization means being able to find your stuff when... Read More
A lot of us grew up with Mom taking care... Read More
Have nothing in your houses that you do not know... Read More
Professional organizers and helpful-hint sources often recommend storage solutions such... Read More
To make room for new things to come into you... Read More
In most homes, paper causes clutter. And it seems to... Read More
It happens without warning. One day you notice your home... Read More
1. The Law of the 1st StepA good first step... Read More
Some people seem to be born organized. You probably remember... Read More
It may be difficult to relate saving money with organization... Read More
Clutter costs you time, money, space, and peace of mind.... Read More
You know, in psychology there is a rule, especially within... Read More
I have a good friend whom (also being in the... Read More
Light, Work, and YouWinter is here-and with it, short days,... Read More
Use these 35 sanity savers this year to help you... Read More
reliable maid service Winnetka ..Helping people clean out their closet is something I love... Read More
"The real question is, why do you want it? What... Read More
Has your polished mahogany (or modular plastic) desk been buried... Read More
In many of the companies I have worked in, there... Read More
Feeling Overwhelmed and Unorganized? - How to Use Index Cards... Read More
It wasn't long ago that you spent an entire weekend... Read More
Some people seem to be born organized. You probably remember... Read More
It may be difficult to relate saving money with organization... Read More
We hear it every day."Buy this product, and simplify your... Read More
1. In terms of organization, what is the first thing... Read More
You really can have a successful business and a great... Read More
You can get a pretty good idea of the benefits... Read More
It may seem far-fetched, but by organizing your desk, your... Read More
Cleaning out can seem overwhelming -- especially if it's been... Read More
Life is really all about CHANGE. In order to make... Read More
How to do keep track of all you have to... Read More
From time to time I hear this question from an... Read More
Much of my time as a Professional Organizer is spent... Read More
Technology has given us the tools to reduce routine tasking,... Read More
Have you ever wondered how some people seem to have... Read More
It takes effort to get results, and not just any... Read More
Remember when you charged into the office that first day,... Read More
Whether you are in your own business or an employee... Read More
I'm sure most of you have heard of Zig Ziglar... Read More
Recently, in an online group, we talked about "balance" and... Read More
Get Organized - Organization |