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
green cleaning service Glencoe ..Life with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) can be a constant... Read More
Studies show that 80 percent of what we use comes... Read More
The store reminded me of a well-worn slipper ? tattered... Read More
Does Your Present Internet Filing System Work?Do You Really Know... Read More
"Organize" is a familiar word heard on many of today's... Read More
Parenting is always a challenge, but particularly so if your... Read More
"My job is an endless series of deadlines, I am... Read More
When the things in your home start crowding in around... Read More
From time to time I hear this question from an... Read More
The Mexican VillagerThe American investment banker was at the pier... Read More
I followed my boss to a co-worker's cubicle where my... Read More
1. All or nothing thinking/taking on too much." I'm going... Read More
I recently conducted a survey to look at the relationship... Read More
In part 1, we discussed a system you could use... Read More
You know, in psychology there is a rule, especially within... Read More
1. The Law of the 1st StepA good first step... Read More
It may be difficult to relate saving money with organization... Read More
In most homes, paper causes clutter. And it seems to... Read More
Professional organizers and helpful-hint sources often recommend storage solutions such... Read More
Each area of your home has a symbolic meaning with... Read More
Decluttering is a simple-to-learn process, once you break it down... Read More
When you embark on a life transition, the skills that... Read More
We previously noted that papers must be sorted before they... Read More
Every day I find junk mail waiting for me, whether... Read More
What do you gain if you SIMPLIFY?Dictionary* says:to reduce to... Read More
house cleaning company Bannockburn ..Everytime Mary had to find a file on her computer,... Read More
We are bombarded with so many factors that perpetuate disorganization.... Read More
When the things in your home start crowding in around... Read More
It happens without warning. One day you notice your home... Read More
Individuals who are organized in their personal lives most generally... Read More
How do you know if you need to clean out?... Read More
Are stacks of papers, mail, newspapers, and growing "to do"... Read More
Paper1. You may already be in the habit of filing... Read More
Our children are probably the biggest clutter creators we have... Read More
Often we are in overwhelm because we are holding too... Read More
When I tell people what a FREEING experience moving is,... Read More
"The real question is, why do you want it? What... Read More
In a speech entitled "Organized Living in a Disorganized World"... Read More
Are you feeling overwhelmed? Have a to-do list a mile... Read More
The following procedures will insure an organized and well run... Read More
In part 1, we discussed a system you could use... Read More
3-Step Clean Sweep Program 1 -... Read More
Do you feel like you just get too much e-mail?... Read More
Working for one of the top Marketers online (David Ledoux)... Read More
Do you ever sit down at your desk buried in... Read More
Some people seem to be born organized. You probably remember... Read More
(This is the second in a series of three articles... Read More
Use these 35 sanity savers this year to help you... Read More
"My job is an endless series of deadlines, I am... Read More
Clutter is a big problem for many people. At a... Read More
Get Organized - Organization |