Michael Nichols | Leadership Made Simple
Leadership Made Simple
We’re having a baby – a boy! And we need help!
In just a few days, as he makes his debut in the delivery room I’m going to greet him with his first fist bump.
He’ll be our second child – our first boy. And as the due date has drawn closer, I’ve been thinking a lot about two things.
First – I’ve been imagining what it’s going to be like to hang with a boy – MY boy.
Why walk away from a college degree? Or a job. A diet. That book you were reading. Your workout. New Year’s resolutions. A business plan. Your life plan. A relationship. Attending church. Getting out of debt. Quitting smoking.
You were doing great – then you weren’t. What happened?!
What causes us to give up on our goals? Why do we so readily abandon our dreams? How can we just walk away?
We all know we need to take a break occasionally – to unplug and recharge. (Those two don’t usually go together.) Life and work just get in the way. And before we know it, another month is gone. Another year is gone. Time gets away from us. And we continue pushing ourselves and our teams to the point of burn out.
Several weeks ago, I was leaving town for a week-long vacation with my wife, Sarah, and our 7-year-old daughter, Madison.
On the way out of town, I stopped briefly to meet a client. We spoke for a few minutes, and as I turned to leave, I promised to email some information later that day.
Sitting in the car, Madison overheard my promise and said to her mom as I opened the car door, “Mom, Dad is NOT allowed to send any emails this week!”
It’s interesting that a 7-year-old understands the importance of taking a break when so many leaders struggle with maintaining energy and focus.
This week I am spending some time away with Sarah and Madison. And we’re having a blast! We’ve laughed more in the past two days than we have in a long time.
Yesterday, I introduced Madison to Krispy Kreme donuts for the first time ever. She’s trying to decide if she still prefers Dunkin Donuts.
We also spent some time shopping together. While we were out, we passed a kiosk vendor who was putting out some balloons.
Madison had to have one.
