“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.”
Audrey Hepburn
Love is in the air with February being the month of romance. On Valentine’s Day we traditionally express our feelings and celebrate with loved ones.
This is a good time to take a look at what is really important in our lives. Who do you love? What do you love? Where do you love to be? What is it you love to do? As I examine the past year, my fondest memories were not work-related but rather the personal experiences I shared with my family and friends.
It’s February and we’re now immersed in 2024. For me, the last few months have been about planning, budgets, and my personal favorite — goal setting. If you’re like me, you spend more time working than doing anything else. When my daughter was little, I remember her asking me, “Dad, why do you work all the time?” So, I asked her, “Would you rather live in a smaller house and see me more, or live in a bigger house while I continue to work hard?” Her reply surprised me. She said, “Dad, I would live anywhere as long as I can see you more so we can do more stuff together.” Now that she's a college student, I’m not so sure she still feels the same way, but her little girl response was telling.
“Putting family first” has always been an interesting concept to balance for me. However, without your family and friends, what does success in business really mean? Make your relationship goals just as (if not more), important as your business goals. You work to support your family, but your family and friends also work to support you every single day with unconditional love.
“All you need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” — Charles M. Schultz
Don’t make Valentine’s Day the only time you express your feelings for a loved one. Do something for them when least expected or every day. I’ve re-evaluated my goals, and at the top of the list is making the time to surprise and delight my wife with gestures from the heart all year long. Apply the same goal-setting importance to your relationships as you do for your business. As you review your goals and priorities for the year, take it from me and put family first. Spend quality time with the ones you love. Make a planned effort to have fun, smell the roses, leave sexy notes on the bathroom mirror and yes…eat a little chocolate!
Ralph
