Today is the 8 year birthday of my oldest daughter, Laura.
Aside from celebrating her it is a good occasion for me as her dad to remember something that I think is absolutely vital:
No matter how much and how hard you work on building and succeeding with your startup, and no matter how things may turn and how much you may end up failing here and there, there is one all important area where you can always win:
In the eyes of those you love the most.
I fully realize there are entrepreneurs out there who will say that burning the midnight oil for your startup essentially means kissing your family and loved ones goodbye for a number of years in the pursuit of success.
I couldn’t disagree more.
No matter what you do, family is always the most important.
If you have kids they love you and rely on you. They want to spend time with you and learn from you. That’s should be a big win for you.
You should also think of that as a huge privilige that will be a thing of the past soon enough, when they grow older and don’t want to spend time with you – or have taken a page out of your book by not scheduling you into their calendars.
You should think about it as a source of energy, inspiration and motivation, when the going gets tough; that you have someone with you who will love you and support you no matter what. Who will see you for who you are as a person and not see you only as a function of what you’re trying to do.
And who will always be there after your current adventure ends one way or the other.
Always remember that.
(Photo: Pixabay.com)