TLDR & Audio Version

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TLDR:

• Time passes quickly, especially when raising children
• We can't reclaim past time, but we can shape our present to honor past and future
• Proactive planning is crucial to ensure quality time with loved ones
• Introduce concept of "Sacred Time" - non-negotiable time slots for important relationships/activities
• Schedule Sacred Time like any other crucial appointment
• Build your calendar around these important moments
• Remember why you became an entrepreneur - often for more family time and freedom
• Detailed steps provided for scheduling with Sacred Time concept
• Balance work commitments with personal priorities
• Regularly review and adjust your schedule
• Take control of your time to create meaningful memories and experiences

Do you like TLDR summaries? I am never sure.

FULL VERSION

Time’s Relentless March: A Parent’s Perspective

Thirteen years. In the blink of an eye, they’re gone. I found myself lost in a sea of photographs, each a frozen moment of my daughter’s life. As I flipped through the pages of her story, a question echoed in my mind: Where did all that time go?

As parents, we often find ourselves caught in a paradox of emotions. We look back at the past with fondness and longing, wishing we could have done more, experienced more, or simply had more time. It’s a universal feeling - this desire to turn back the clock and relive those precious moments.

But time, that unyielding force, marches on regardless of our wishes. We can’t reclaim those bygone days. What we can do, however, is far more powerful: we can shape our present in a way that honors our past and future.

Living in the Present, Writing Our Own Story

The key lies in managing our current life in a way that ensures the past becomes a record of what was, not what could have been. It’s about actively taking control of our narrative, writing the story of our past on our own terms. When we approach life with this mindset, regrets fade away. We can look back and say with confidence: “We tried. We did all we could. It was amazing.”

Sure, there will always be a part of us that yearns to do it all over again. But time doesn’t work that way. Instead of lamenting this fact, we can choose to appreciate the beauty of life’s one-way journey.

The Importance of Proactive Planning with Sacred Time

I came to a crucial realization: if I didn’t proactively schedule time to spend with my daughter, life would often get in the way. This is a fundamental truth about time allocation - if you don’t deliberately allocate your time, the world will fill it for you, and rarely in a way that aligns with your best interests.

What I absolutely did not want to do anymore was to lose time for the world, which should have been sacred time.

Sacred time is time that I define as time on the schedule that everything must be scheduled around. These time slots are the gods of the schedule. Get priority access to your time - only emergencies bump them out of the way. Sacred time is reserved for time that is invaluable to you - time with your spouse, family, kids, or yourself.

So, I decided to take control. I started asking myself: - Who do I want to spend time with? - When can we schedule it? - What are we going to do?

And most importantly, I added these plans to my calendar.

Building Life Around What Matters

The next step was to build my calendar around these important moments. I treated these scheduled times with loved ones like any other crucial appointment. This process ensures a work-life balance that includes quality time with the valued people in my life - assuming, of course, that I stick to the plan.

This approach makes the hard work worthwhile. After all, what’s the point of working hard, making money, working from home, or starting your own business if it doesn’t enable more freedom in your life?

The Entrepreneur’s Dilemma

As entrepreneurs, we often find ourselves caught up in a rat race of our design. We build it, we willingly sign up for it, but sometimes we forget why we started in the first place. It’s crucial to step back and remember that the freedom to spend time with loved ones is often the very reason we embarked on this journey.

How to Schedule with Sacred Time

1. Identify Non-Flexible Commitments - Add all non-negotiable events to your calendar first. - Include realistic work hours (typically 7-9 hours per day, five days a week). - Add other essential commitments like commute time, regular medical appointments, etc.
2. Schedule Sleep Time - Block out your sleep schedule, ensuring you allocate enough time for proper rest. - Include wind-down and wake-up routines if applicable.
3. Identify Available Time for Sacred Activities - The remaining time is potentially available for sacred time. - Review this available time to ensure it’s realistic and sustainable.
4. Define Your Sacred Time Activities - List activities you consider ‘sacred’ (e.g., family time, personal hobbies, exercise, meditation). - Prioritize these activities based on their importance to you.
5. Schedule Sacred Time - Add your sacred activities to the available time slots in your calendar. - Be specific about what you’ll do during each sacred time block. - Ensure a balance between different types of sacred activities.
6. Create Buffer Time - Add small buffers between activities to account for transitions and unexpected events. - This helps prevent sacred time from being squeezed out by other commitments.
7. Review and Adjust Regularly - Periodically review your schedule to ensure it’s working for you. - Be willing to adjust as your needs and circumstances change.
8. Communicate Your Schedule - Share your sacred time commitments with family, friends, and colleagues as appropriate. - This helps others respect your time and reduces conflicts. - If you live with a partner, it would be extremely valueable to have them go through this process as well, so you can align you schedule as best as possible.
9. Adhere to the schedule - Treat sacred time with the same importance as work commitments. - If you can’t stick to the schedule, reassess and make necessary adjustments.
10. Practice Flexibility Within Structure - While adhering to the schedule is crucial, allow for some flexibility when truly necessary. - Learn to differentiate between genuine needs for flexibility and excuses.

Remember, the goal is to create a sustainable balance that allows you to honor your commitments while nurturing what’s most important to you. Don’t give up if you find it challenging to stick to this schedule. Instead, reflect on why it’s difficult and make incremental changes until you find a system that works for you.

A Call to Action So, to all the parents, entrepreneurs, and busy individuals out there: Take control of your time. Schedule those important moments. Build your life around what truly matters. Because in the end, when we look back at the photographs of our lives, we want to see a story of love, connection, and time well spent.

Remember, the present is a gift. It’s our chance to create the past we’ll want to remember. Let’s make every moment count.

Diego

​Listen to the long version of this letter on Carrot Cashflow.​

In case you didn't know, I try to write several short posts like this each week on Instagram - check them out @diegofooter.

Did you know I have several podcasts?

Carrot Cashflow here.

Farm Small Farm Smart here.

Farm Small Farm Smart Daily here.

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