NickVenturella.com 8-28-16

Importance of family in the daily grindÂ

August 28, 2016

Life gets busy. Life gets messy sometimes. Even in times, when life may not seem bad or anything traumatic is taking place, the daily grind and hustle of living -- having a relationship with your spouse while being parents while tending to dying pets and doing your best to ensure everyone stays as healthy and safe as possible -- is tough.Perhaps you can relate to the feeling of never being able to fully get to the things you feel you need to spend more time on. That includes time with family, that includes your work, that includes any additional pursuits that you have, or time needed to maintain personal and professional friendships.I'm not sure how this takes a toll on you, but for me it provokes negative self talk. Basically, I start to think that I'm a failure and that I'm failing at all of these things.While I may not be excelling at all of them I know in my heart of hearts that I'm not failing at all of them.It just means what I need to do is take a moment to take a step back write out at least three things I'm grateful for that happened that week, and list out the priorities of what I value in my life.By doing that you get yourself into a more positive mindset and it's easier to identify where you should put your focus knowing that you only have so much time and energy to give to everything that is clamoring for your attention.For me I want to excel in both my family life and my work/creative life to the point that they are symbiotic, however, if I'm very critical about it I need to make sure I focus first on my family, in doing so it will always allow me to make the right choice in balancing my time appropriately.It seems counterintuitive, but when I put my focus where my highest priority value is (in this case, family) I tend to find a way to make time for everything else.This is in part because I know my family is pulling for my individual success just like I'm pulling for, and supporting, each of theirs -- the result of my making family a priority.You get what you give. That's not only true for family, but anything you value. When you get overwhelmed with the day to day just remember to use gratitude to change your attitude and take your next step in the right direction by reviewing your values and priorities. 

Thank you for your time and attention.Have a great week!