My Family on the Beach
2012 was nothing short of extraordinary. But, uncertainty reigned supreme as 2011 turned into 2012. Consider I was:
- Exiting a business I grew and loved for a decade
- Expecting the birth of my first child, Brooklyn
- Considering what would be “next” both personally and professionally?
To say my guiding words for 2012 (thank you ChrisBrogan.com) served me well would be like saying Adrian Peterson had a decent year running the football.
Among the highlights:
- My wife and I shared the birth of our first child who has taught me so much in so little time. What a gem – even if she is kinetic energy personified!
- Watched my wife kick ass while juggling pregnancy, motherhood, a home and a job. An inspiration to say the least!
- Became a Minister and married two of my friends. (Currently taking reservations for 2013)
- Ran two half marathons – including one in Philly to celebrate my 38th birthday
- Helped more than a half a million soccer players, coaches and parents have more fun on the field through SoccerClassroom – my community service project to the sport I love
- Became the CEO of NFFS General Contractors – the fastest growing company in Northeast Florida. It’s been a humbling, chaotic and amazingly vibrant place to work and serve. It’s an honor to have the opportunity to lead. Even with all our previous growth, we grew at an even faster this year than last year…and we’re really getting to some big numbers!
A Platform for Success
My words kept me on track so well that I considered keeping them for 2013.
Ultimately, I decided I could build on those words without discarding them. I’ll keep focused on: Engage. Invest. Enrich. But, I’m also going to add three new ones as Beacons to ensure I stay on the right track of aligning my values with my actions.
For 2013, my three Beacons and the buoys that help me measure that guidance:
Growth. Growth is the result of reflecting, learning, planning and ultimately, executing. I liked that growth encompassed so many areas at once, which is why I selected it. Personally, I want to grow and become a better dad and husband by paying attention, listening, contributing even when it isn’t “convenient” and most importantly, investing my time. I want to grow to be a better friend and create a positive cycle of returns in relationships that matter. For me, I spend so much time dealing with the “urgent, here and now” that I need to invest more time in the “important.” Growth is spending time reading, thinking and processing information into insights, so I can be prepared to help at the next level personally and professionally. Grow or Die, baby!
Discipline. While I have a clear focus of the life I would like to lead, I don’t always exercise the discipline necessary to execute. For instance, for me to be at my best, I need to have the discipline to consistently work out and fuel my body with the right foods. My family needs to adhere to our budget to achieve our longest-term goals. I need the discipline to set and stick to boundaries that hold myself and those around me accountable at home and at work. Discipline and accountability starts with writing it down for a shared understanding, so it can be measured. I would like to better engineer my perfect week, so I can stick to my plan.
Celebrate. I’m not talking about the “Celebrate” to have people to the house; Rachel and I have perfected the art of the impromptu party. I’m talking about recognizing the individual moments of life – both large and small: my mom being cancer-free at her last checkup, Brooklyn crawling and other amazing endeavors, birthdays of loved ones that go embarrassingly unrecognized, extraordinary scope of helping soccer people in 124 countries and Rachel’s acceptance to JU’s NP program. With the speed at which I’m required to operate in life, I’ve missed moments that should all be celebrated – the little wins of Project Managers who craftily figure shit out to massive wins of on-boarding new customers. I take for granted the successes of my family, friends, associates and loved ones as “ordinary” as opposed to the extraordinary moments they actually are. I think it’s because I have some really cool, successful and fun people in my life – and they deserve to be celebrated…else they won’t stay my friend very long. 😉 I want to really try harder to exercise my own Cheerful Soul to ensure I celebrate 2013 with all those around me who make life so much fun and worthwhile.
What about you? What are your Beacons for 2013?
Speak Your Mind