Enjoying each stage of your life, work and leadership, is critically important to satisfaction and happiness. Before my wife and I had kids we were busy and tired. So tired that we would often make a point to relax on Sunday afternoons and watch a movie, often taking a nap. Together we often reminisce about those days. After having two babies we quickly looked back at those days as unusually quiet. What were we ever tired about? Of course we adjusted to the new normal and enjoyed the hectic days of babies and toddlers, and now have moved into having two great teenagers.
At each step the challenges have changed, sometimes getting more complex, while in other areas getting easier. I don’t have to feed my children now, they do that all on their own thank you. But they are facing some adult challenges now and that is pretty tough too.
So it is in leadership, each stage has it’s own challenges, in some ways good and in some ways bad. My babies never talked back to me, not once. But they never shared a belly laugh with me either, like my two sons do now. It’s all good, just in a different way.
We would all do good not to look too far ahead or behind and imagine that those are better days. Today is the only day you’ve got. Enjoy the moments you have in your current job, situation, and life stage. There are challenges, but there always were and there always will be. Don’t run from them, but look at them as a vital and important part of the stage of development you are in, and that your team is in.
Feedback: What are some things you’ve learned from parenting that have helped you in your work, leadership and career? I’d love to know.
David Curry
