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The Life Work.
I woke up at 5am this morning to get an early start to work. I’ve got some heavy projects on the plate, and I was eager to get started.
But my alarm also woke up my 18 month old.
He sat up bolt upright and laughed. A baby happy laugh. A laugh that says, “I’m up and ready to play.”
Any parent knows waking up a baby at 5am is not the best way to start a day.
Amois, my wife, tried to get him back to sleep as I got dressed, pressed the hot water button for some tea, and got ready to get out the door.
It didn’t work. He crawled off the bed. And when I saw his happy, grinning face bounding toward me, I knew I had to stay and work would have to wait.
The back of my mind was playing a movie of unanswered emails, the stress of getting back to people, and running this coach training company. I fought to focus on him. I fought to stay present.
Right in front of me was pure joy who wanted to read Moo, Baa, La La La and growl at the monsters in Where the Wild Things Are.
I decided to play. I read, growled, wrestled, fed, tinkered with toys, and changed a diaper.
We read together.
I was dad for an hour, a precious morning hour when I planned to crank before everyone else was up.
Then my 10 year-old got up. We chatted a bit. She said she’d watch the little one.
The Work Work.
I scooted out the door, and mom got to catch some more precious sleep after working late on a project last night. It’s the ultimate work-life balance. Every parent knows the crazy balance, discipline, pain, joy, and challenge of making everything work.
As I got to the coffee shop and started to crank. I checked my email and planned for the calls ahead. As I got these ideas out on paper, I had a feeling of bitter-sweetness wash over me as I realized I had already experienced the best hour of my day. My heart was happy.
The pressure and stress can’t take that hour away from me.
Even though it’s a monumental challenge to keep everything together and keep the work forward, the stress is worth it. The work that Coach Training EDU is meaningful. It’s fulfilling. Coaches all around the world are doing the same work. We’re helping people thrive and live lives full of joy, work, and love.
The work is the painful eyes and sound of an alarm going off.
It’s the joy of an 18 month old getting up too early, ready to play.
It’s the fulfilling feeling in your heart, knowing that the effort is truly helping make the world a better place.
As I sit here writing this post, I find myself feeling so thankful for the flexibility to spend an hour being dad early in the morning. It’s the earned gift of taking the entrepreneurial leap.
To all the coaches who are working to establish thriving coaching practices, for all those doing the hard mental, emotional work of putting your ideas and effort out there to establish a coaching practice, it’s worth it. Not just for you or for your clients, but for those closest to you.
This week, I’m dedicating the work to those precious hours I get to spend to be the dad I want to be.
What are you working for this week?
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Love this post! Many helpful nuggets and reminders that helped to boost my motivation today, especially the “earned gift” of taking the leap and the concept of “dedicating the work.” This week I’m dedicating my work to my own little guy, and to working for more time to spend all-in and 100% focused on being his sidekick superhero as we fight bad guys and save the world!
I Love this post! Many helpful nuggets and reminders that helped to boost my motivation today, especially the “earned gift” of taking the leap and the concept of “dedicating the work.