When I was ready for my life to shift, for different focus to emerge, I have made very conscious choices to make my family a much higher and active priority in my life.

We were always close and in touch, but I mean like seeing each other more, going to more family events, making more time for new random memories to be made, etc.

Basically, I said I want to spend more time with my family, and I’ve taken actions to that end. I moved back to the northeast. I put family events on my calendar first, before work and travel. I now hop in the car and drive north to go to my cousin’s wedding, to surprise my Dad on Father’s day and to celebrate my niece graduating high school. We even played Redneck Life, the board game cracking up around the table for five hours last night. True story. All of it.

Before this shift, I said for a long time, I wanted to make more time for my family and didn’t reeeally do it. I did a little, but was doing mostly my same old thing.

Different focus requires different actions to actually turn into a different life experience, and that effort to make change feels different too. If it feels too smooth, without any rub, take a look to see if you’re really making change or not.

I share all this as a reminder for all of us to really look at what we SAY we want, and compare it to what we actually choose to do day-to-day, week-to-week, etc. Don’t let it get to year-to-year and you realize that time is gone.

Regret is the most dangerous thing because we don’t feel it yet.

Don’t let autopilot run your life and steal the time you want with the people you love. Do the things you want to do, with the people you want to do them.

I can tell you, at least in my experience, those are the best decisions you’ll ever make.

Love you all!