“What would I tell my kids?” This is a thought that ran through my head this morning when I arrived at work and realized I’d left my backpack and laptop at home. I knew I’d for sure be late to my meeting because of it.
On top of that frustration, I’d only gotten 4-5 hours of sleep the night before. I woke up early to do my CrossFit workout, which wasn’t the greatest workout. I drove from the gym to the office, planning to shower and be ready for my first meeting of the day. It was then that I looked in my truck and realized I didn’t have my work stuff.
I had to jump back in my truck and drive home frustrated, tired and not in the greatest spot. I thought to myself, “What would I tell my kids in this situation?” As I’ve talked about, they’re all away at school. When we talk, sometimes they’ll tell me about challenges or problems in their day. I always have fatherly advice ready for them. Typically, it’s messages like “have a positive attitude,” “keep moving forward,” or “this is just a moment in time.”
It was a good chance for me to reflect on my drive home, think about what I’d tell them, and realize it’d be one of those messages. I realized that that’s what I needed to tell myself. It was a good gut check; it allowed me to calm down, keep things in perspective, laugh about it and remind myself that the day would get better from there.
In a past blog, Advice You’d Give Yourself, I shared a James Clear quote saying, “If you met someone exactly like yourself: same experience, same resources, same problems, what advice would you give them?” This is the same take on that, but this time, I’m talking about my kids. I have to listen to the advice I’d give my kids.
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts. What do you tell yourself when things aren’t going your way? Let me know what you do to get yourself in a better spot to keep moving forward. By the way, it turned out to be a great day!
