What if I told you that you only had eleven more holidays with your family? As disconcerting as the thought may be, this is what I found myself thinking about during the Easter holiday.
I’ve been fortunate to celebrate the last 26 Easter holidays with my wife, and for better or worse, during this time the room has changed. I’m not talking about wallpaper and paint colors, though that’s certainly changed too. Rather, over the years there have been new faces joining our celebration, some family members that are no longer with us, and as the generations have aged, individuals have gotten different roles and responsibilities. Maybe I’ve had my head in the sand, but the stark change hit me right in the face during this year’s celebration, and it left me reeling.
My mom passed away when she was 62. As a 51-year-old, the possibility of only having eleven more years really put things into perspective. The mere idea of placing any constraint of time left with loved ones is difficult to grapple with. So I ask you again, what if I told you that you only had eleven more holidays with your family? What would you do, and how would you spend those days and years? For me, this is an easy answer.
If you’ve read any of my other blog posts, then you know I’m passionate about purpose, so it’s no surprise that I’d spend every waking moment being purposeful and intentional with my loved ones. Creating memories with my kids, connecting and bonding with Maria, finding ways to make the mundane feel magical, and arguably doing exactly what we all should be doing every single day. To me, that’s what living a purposeful life is all about. It’s not about dwelling and focusing on the negative, but about creating memories and experiences during the time that we do have.
As business leaders, this same concept applies. Regardless of how much time I have left, I will spend every waking moment positively impacting as many lives as I can and locking arms with my teammates to create opportunities for them to grow and succeed. Finally, I’ll pack purpose into every vision and pursuit of the organization because having a purpose that drives your business turns everyday monotony into meaningful missions.
If your time is limited, how will you be thoughtful and intentional with your teammates? What will you do to ensure your teammates have an unbelievable experience and are set up to thrive within their roles? How will you sustain purpose and culture after it is established? If you haven’t taken the time to think about your answers to these questions, I urge you to do that now. Tomorrow isn’t promised, but by being intentional and purposeful, the moments and memories you build with those around you are.