Yesterday my youngest son Harry turned 1.
To quote the musical “Rent” – which frankly no-one does enough these days – how do you measure a year?
Well it has been quite a year for me and my little family.
I’ve become a Dad all over again, moved house, and in January opened my first studio. All this actually happened in a matter of months, but these milestones tend to make you look back and take stock.
And it’s redefined for me what you can get done in a relatively short space of time.
Biggest breakthrough though?
Learning when to ask for help.
See this is something I’ve never been very good at – I’ve always run myself into the ground, working insane hours and taking on waaaay too much responsibility rather than delegating or trusting someone else to help me or lighten the load.
But in February things came to a head.
My family life was really suffering as a result of work
I was constantly fighting colds and generally feeling run down
Training took a serious back seat
I made the same excuses I normally call you guys out for:
“I haven’t got time”
“I’ll start on Monday”
“This is more important”
I was struggling to sleep
I was short tempered with those who I care about the most
So I decided enough was enough
And I asked someone for help
Or to be precise, I asked a few people for help.
I hired a studio manager AND I started working with a couple of business coaches.
In for a penny and all that
Best. Decision. Ever.
What’s changed?
I’m blocking out quality time each week to spend with the family
I’m blocking out quality time each week to spend with myself
Not just exercise either – the odd cinema trip or beer with friends as well!
And all this is non-negotiable
At the end of the day, if I’m unhappy or unhealthy, or even worse – both…what is the point?
Even before I’d started with the new routine I felt better, slept better
Just making that decision to put myself and my family first made me feel more relaxed and, at the risk of sounding like a bit of a doughnut, more centered.
I’m now a better parent to the boys
I’m a better husband to my wife
I’m able to serve our amazing, dedicated clients at the studio more effectively
See, I don’t care who you are, sometimes you need to know when to ask for help, because…
(awesome quote alert!)
“You can’t pour from an empty cup”
Sometimes in order to serve the people you care about, to be a better husband/wife/father/mother/friend/employee/boss, you need to be a little bit selfish and put yourself first.
And quite often, that means asking for help.
So if you reckon you could use some help with changing things, click here to get in touch and my lovely Studio Manager will be in touch!
Ian “smooth delegator” Male
Ps. We’ve recently launched a free group on Facebook where we’ll be sharing hints, tips, recipes and workouts with like-minded people – if you want in then click here, request to join and we’ll throw you in there!