Beware the Tail End
It’s hard to visualize a long life when it’s split into bite-sized days filled with randomness and chaos.
In today's ever-connected world, we are plugged in as quickly as we rise in the morning.
📧 Emails are buzzing
📱 Social media apps are fired up
💻 Laptops are open for early meetings
By the evening, our brains are fried from putting up with the unnecessary bullshit from the day.
→ We want to decompress and be alone.
That self-care is vital but there is a caveat…
Kids.
I have an 11-year-old who is my whole world. The years are just melting away.
Just the other day, I was looking back at pictures of his birth and first year. His little giggle, his pudgy face, the peacefulness as he slept.
That’s all come to pass as do many things in life.
I’m grateful for the moments we are experiencing presently but these days are evaporating just as fast.
As a single dad, having him every other week, my time with him is shorter than most.
Quick math...
I have 7 years before college.
That’s only 84 months divided by 2 (since I have him half of the time).
That’s minuscule when you think of it.
In Tim Urban’s famous blog article, "The Tail End", he articulates that when a child leaves for college they’ve spent about 80% of the time with their parents they’ll get in their life—staggering when you think of it.
→ What’s the lesson here?
If you have kids, or when you have kids, prioritize them first.
The emails can wait.
The late-night work project can wait.
It all can wait.
Although we must take care of ourselves, our kids need us way more.
All they want is our love and attention.
→ Sit with them when they want to show you something.
→ Be excited when they accomplish something.
→ Show up to every event they take part in.
They’re watching. They care.
Frankly, almost everything you’d prioritize over them ends up being insignificant.
Don’t risk a great relationship with your kids because we get lost in the day.
Because one day turns into the next and before you know it they are off to college. You've spent 80% of the time you’ll ever spend with them. And you’ll never get those precious moments back.
Prioritize them over all else and enjoy the wonderfully beautiful sweet chaos of parenting.
Because remember, time flies.
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