We are excited to welcome our guest writer today, David. A consultant, family man, and dedicated friend, he faces many challenges in balancing it all, but strives to find time to enjoy these various aspects of his life. He is a man of many hobbies, in addition to his work and family roles, and is an avid sportsman with archery hunting and fly-fishing being his favorites. We look forward to reading more about David’s perspective on :simple:balance:.
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Photo by i b u
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Photo by i b u
I remember back to when I was 8 or 9 years old when my dad and I spent many weekends at a camp that was located on an oxbow lake in Alabama. Whether we were hunting deer and turkey on the land around the lake, duck hunting in the backwater, or fishing for bass, crappie, or bream, we were spending quality time together. No matter what activity we were embarking on, Dad always would ask me what I wanted to do. Even at that young age, I knew that he was putting my interests first during our recreational times together. Our outdoor adventures are just one example of the quality time spent with my Dad; there are numerous other examples that I could mention where he was totally focused on me. No matter what we were doing, Dad always put forth effort to make the most of our time together.
The time spent with my dad was extremely important to both of us because he and my mom divorced when I was 5, and the custody agreement gave my dad the weekends and some weeks during the summer with me when I was out of school. Dad always welcomed others to join us in our hunting and fishing adventures, and I distinctly remember one of his friends commenting on the quality of time that we spent together. This friend had a toddler son of his own that was not quite old enough to come along, but it was obvious that his comment was not only a compliment to Dad but also a proclamation that he too would make a conscious effort to make the future recreational time with his son good, quality time.
Many years later, as I juggle my own work, extra-curricular activities, civic obligations, and time with my family, I hope that I can be as determined as Dad was to make time with my wife and daughter true quality time. It takes a conscious effort to achieve this, especially considering distractions such as the buzzing of the iPhone or the “big game” on TV. No matter what we are doing or where we are at, there is always opportunity to be distracted.
I often have to remind myself to be intentionally involved in the smallest activities like playing on the living room floor or reading to my daughter. The same is true for time in conversation with my wife or on our family outings. One method that helps me focus on my family is turning the distractions off. Yes, the TV and the iPhone have off buttons (or at least mute buttons), and being able to ignore them, even temporarily, allows me to focus on the current moment. Another tool I have found to be helpful is using the outdoors, much like my Dad did. I find it much easier to get away from the hustle and bustle in the outdoors. Walks in a park or camping trips help me focus on my family more than anything else. In the outdoors, I do not find myself having to concentrate on staying focused on the time I am spending with my family; it just comes naturally.
I have, by no means, mastered making all of my time with family good quality time, and I probably never will. But at least I had a good mentor and good times that I can reflect on to guide me along the journey with my own family. How about for you? What tools have you found or methods do you use to ensure the time spent with loved ones is of high quality?
The time spent with my dad was extremely important to both of us because he and my mom divorced when I was 5, and the custody agreement gave my dad the weekends and some weeks during the summer with me when I was out of school. Dad always welcomed others to join us in our hunting and fishing adventures, and I distinctly remember one of his friends commenting on the quality of time that we spent together. This friend had a toddler son of his own that was not quite old enough to come along, but it was obvious that his comment was not only a compliment to Dad but also a proclamation that he too would make a conscious effort to make the future recreational time with his son good, quality time.
Many years later, as I juggle my own work, extra-curricular activities, civic obligations, and time with my family, I hope that I can be as determined as Dad was to make time with my wife and daughter true quality time. It takes a conscious effort to achieve this, especially considering distractions such as the buzzing of the iPhone or the “big game” on TV. No matter what we are doing or where we are at, there is always opportunity to be distracted.
I often have to remind myself to be intentionally involved in the smallest activities like playing on the living room floor or reading to my daughter. The same is true for time in conversation with my wife or on our family outings. One method that helps me focus on my family is turning the distractions off. Yes, the TV and the iPhone have off buttons (or at least mute buttons), and being able to ignore them, even temporarily, allows me to focus on the current moment. Another tool I have found to be helpful is using the outdoors, much like my Dad did. I find it much easier to get away from the hustle and bustle in the outdoors. Walks in a park or camping trips help me focus on my family more than anything else. In the outdoors, I do not find myself having to concentrate on staying focused on the time I am spending with my family; it just comes naturally.
I have, by no means, mastered making all of my time with family good quality time, and I probably never will. But at least I had a good mentor and good times that I can reflect on to guide me along the journey with my own family. How about for you? What tools have you found or methods do you use to ensure the time spent with loved ones is of high quality?
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