Disclosure: "I participated in an Influencer Program on behalf of Dad Central for ROGAINE®. I received a product sample and promotional item to thank me for participating."
As I get older the things that I think about through the day have definitely changed. I don't regularly think about it, but when I do I'm still not quite sure I'm really as old as I am. I'll be hitting 4 decades on this planet later this year and that just seems unfathomable to me. Some of the things I used to not give a seconds thought about was hair issues. Now it's falling out and thinning on top and then showing up out of my nose and ears like I'm some old grandpa! I'm getting old!
So as I participate in this campaign for ROGAINE through Dad Central I'm reminded of that aging process. ROGAINE has partnered with Men's Health magazine and created a website for Grow Your Game. The website highlights men's health issues and provides content and resources for me that are looking to improve themselves this year. There are topics about personal development, personal style, personal hygiene and more from various "coaches" that have been put together that write and promote this content. One of the people that has gotten behind this effort is Bill Rancic. You may remember that name from his appearance on TV show "The Apprentice".
For me, I've never been much of that Type A business professional all wrapped up in the total package and presentation. I've always tried to take care of my appearance and be aware of it and look professional, but not to the point that I'd consider those concerns getting in the way of other responsibilities. I'm a husband, and a dad and a friend first. I try to balance taking care of myself and presenting myself in the best light, but not being overwhelmed with that effort.
Lately, my biggest concern has been to become a better dad and husband. If I were to give advice to other males in that role with me it would only be because of things I've struggled with on my own and tried to improve and continue to improve.
Quantity and Quality Time Is a Myth
We've all been lost in this battle I think. The challenge is that you can't really schedule quality time. You have to just put in time and be available and when that happens quality time will sneak up on you and just happen sometimes. The other challenge is that time is a finite resource. There's only so much of it. It's not that you don't have enough time in your day, it's that your filling it with things that may not be what you want. If you're not getting something done that you think is important to you (like spending more time with your kids) then you're spending your time doing other things that perhaps aren't as important: too much time at the office, watching TV, time with friends (instead of family), sleeping in? Those things may not necessarily be bad, but if you're hurting for time in your schedule, take a look at these things and see if you have an area you can adjust. The other thing that I've used quite frequently in recent time is that when I say "Yes" to something/someone, I'm also saying "No" to something/someone else. I just may not know what that "No" was the answer to yet. Be protective of your time and your commitments.
Right Motives for Personal Development
My other growth area in recent times is to understand the real reason and motivation behind me always pushing myself to be better and learn more. I work hard ultimately to provide for others. Of course I get some benefits from that as well, but I want to make more money so that I can provide more for my family. So that we can do fun and interesting things together. And to provide as much of a secure life as I can for my wife and kids. In addition, I would like to make more money so that I can also help more people around me as events come into their lives and they need help with. I want to be a generous person. That's hard to do when you're scraping by paying your own bills all the time. I want to live a "simpler" life and make what I do earn go further than it has in the past. Hopefully I can achieve more of that goal in 2014.