The business was humming along

The business was humming along.

Clients were happy.

The new business pipeline was full.

Things were in a good place.

With a cousin’s wedding coming up, I was looking forward to taking time off.

Mom and Dad were flying in for it and staying with me.

The plan was to work the first half of the week and take off the rest.

But a day before their arrival, things began to unravel.

A key team member unexpectedly needed time.

Then, I received a resignation letter (unrelated) from another.

Now I was beginning to worry.

Typically, this wouldn’t be a big issue.

I would work extra hours to pick up the slack.

But this week was different.

Mom and dad were staying with me.

We had plans for each day.

I had a dilemma.

I didn’t “have time” for both.

My first instinct was to cancel plans so I could work.

But then I thought how little I see my parents.

With them aging, how much longer will I’ll have with them?

I decided canceling plans was not an option.

Instead, I evaluated the work.

I asked, “what is important and not important?”

And, “what is urgent and not urgent?”

I focused on those tasks that were both important and urgent.

Through this exercise, I was able to “make time.”

What mattered got done.

The clients never noticed a difference.

More importantly, I missed no family plans.

When I look back 5, 10, or 25 years from now, I won’t remember the work.

But I will remember the experiences and memories we made together.