Self-employed business owners are busy, very busy. Being productive, checking and responding to email and social media and keeping in contact with your clients and your network. Just a few things self-employed business owners need to take care of every day. But what if all that work is standing in the way of a great day with your kids?
Daddy, can I get a lemonade?
That’s what my son asked me four or five times before he padded me on my leg to beg for attention on my weekly day off . Well, daddy was buried in his phone reading email and his twitter timeline. This moment, just a few days ago, helped me to decide what I did today. Use my phone only to answer calls from my wife, family, friends and other non-business callers and focus on my kids. OK, and to check the weather when I need to go out with the kids and the dog.
The method
I’m not going to write a long story about what methods there are to focus and leave your business out of sight for just one day. It’s very simple to be honest. If you feel distracted from your children, determine what the distraction is and eliminate it. Stop! Don’t fold your iPad in two or dump your Nexus 6 in the toilet. Just turn notifications off. No sound, no flashing light and no notification in the notification area. That’s where it starts. This way you have to initiate the need for information, and that’s the exact moment you can say to yourself: No, not today! That summarizes the method. There’s nothing more to it. Just do it (Sorry Nike, it is/was a great slogan).
Oh, in the case of finding excuses to do check some things during your day off, THERE ARE NO EXCUSES.
Attention pays back
Attention. Just look at that word. Yeah, focus on attention. It pays back, being there for your kids, not just physically, pays back right away. Conversations between the kids and me are more relaxed, I answer immediately when they ask something, I see what happens as it happens, I can help when needed, etc. etc. All positive things that pay back by means of your kids enjoying your presence. That should be enough right?
So, as of today, for this one day in the week, my focus is on my kids and not on my phone/tablet/laptop/desktop/iWatch or other distract-from-kids-technology.
Feeling familiar with this? Let me know what you think or did to get out of it. I’m really interested.
