What Dads Can Learn From Pie
Mmmm… pie.
When it comes to our day as fathers, I thought I’d talk in terms of deliciousness. I like pie, and I imagine you do too. I wish I had the ability to eat pie every day, but that’s not the case. We don’t have access to endless amounts of pie. If we did, life would be awesome… and fat. But mostly awesome.
Much like pie, we also have a finite amount time in a day to be a dad. Like how we slice up our delicious pie, we use up our 24 hours.
Once it’s gone, it’s gone.
What we do in our day is a slice out of our daily pie. We take out a slice for work, hobbies and sleeping. How big is the slice of pie you’ve left for your family? Are they getting a generous portion of your time or are they getting stuck with a tiny sliver of what’s left over?
[Is your family] getting a generous portion of your time or are they getting stuck with a tiny sliver of what’s left over?
Where are your hours going? Who is getting the benefit of you?
If you work eight hours a day then a large slice of your pie is going to work. Slice up another two hours for your commute. If you run before work and meet the guys for ‘happy hour’, there goes another 3 hours. You’re close to crushing someone else’s clan, so you’ve sliced up an hour playing games on your phone. But then you check your work email and there’s been a crisis, so there’s another hour. Add in eight hours of sleep and you’ve given the best of yourself to everyone but your family. So here’s your day in a pie chart. (See what I did there?)
I used to focus on my job too much. It was taking up way more time than my work day. I was staying late, working at home (after working all day) and checking email constantly. Now my work is different and I’m making better use of my time. I’m also less stressed. It’s not cool anymore to be overworked and stressed all the time. I thought it was. My life is so much better now.
Do the most important people in your life get the best – and largest – piece of your time?
Make a list of the people who need you the most and make yourself available to them. Don’t worry about trying to look good to the boss by responding to emails late at night. You need your rest so that you can do your best when you go to work in the morning. Focus on those who love you no matter what and slice up more time for them.
Andy Murphy’s blog, www.thesecuredad.com is dedicated to family safety, home security and of course fatherhood. Visit weekly for tips on keeping yourself, and your family, safe.