This Weekend Make Memories not Deadlines

Growing up, weekends were meant for spending quality time with friends and family.  Nowadays, most people do not know the difference between a weekend and a normal week day. If you are constantly on your phone answering work questions on Saturday and Sunday, you probably don’t have time to make memories. On weekends, a Person of Influence leaves the office and its trappings, at the office.

My two boys always have been active in sports. Every weekend we attended a soccer game, baseball, basketball or football game depending on the season. When a child scores or makes a key play they look at their parents for praise. Unfortunately, there were parents who worked on their laptops or tablets and missed what I call a “thumbs-up” moment. Everytime my kids scored I gave them a “thumbs-up” and shared a smile. On many occasions I leaned over to parents to let them know their child scored. I never understood how a parent missed those special moments. They were in the bleachers but were engulfed in their office. You cannot relive those moments. 

You should own your life, not have your life own you. Identify key team members and delegate tasks during the week. Show them how to resolve issues to maximize your work week while freeing up your weekends. You should try not to aspire to get the “Me” in team award. 

Identify 

Identify those with potential and talent. They are all around you. I create relationships with people who have a positive mindset and want to move up in my organization. Influence them to become influencers.

Empower 

Help empower them with the skills necessary to help you while enabling them to accomplish more. Imagine teaching someone who can accomplish a task as effective as you. This will take the task off your “To Do” list and you will never have to deal with it again. Your load will be lighter and you will have more time for other things. 

Delegate 
Let go of tasks which can be delegated and effectively accomplished by others. Trust your team members to get it done. You can simply delegate it.

Maximize 

Maximize your weekdays. Accomplish your tasks utilizing your team. Challenge your team to get maximum results.

I use this strategy to guarantee making memories on my weekends. I travel for business during the week and am always excited about my weekends. My family is tightly-knit and we are always doing something. My boys often let me know how lucky they are. They are grateful for our time together. From time to time, they bring up conversations with their friends who have no real relationship with their parents. It breaks my heart. I make it a point to ask my kids to invite those neglected kids to spend time with our family. The usual ritual is to go tubing on our boat. Their friends spend countless hours with us enjoying their weekends. 

My goal is to make sure they do not become their parents. Helping others build memories encourages building future memories with their families.