My wife’s birthday was earlier this week.
She had the day off from work. I didn’t.
So what did I do?
Well, first of all, I made sure I was up early and ready to take care of our daughter the moment she got out of bed.
I wanted my wife to be able to sleep in as long as she wanted. But that can be a little difficult when you have a three-year-old throwing books at your head. So I stepped in early to make sure that didn’t happen.
Then, after my wife woke up, we all got ready and went out to breakfast at our favorite little breakfast spot. I had the omelet. My daughter had the waffles. And my wife had a soup and sandwich, which was somewhat uncharacteristic of her. But she said it was delicious, so who am I to question it?
After that, we went home, converted our bedroom into a movie theatre, and then projected Christmas movies against the wall for the rest of the day.
It was a pretty successful and relaxing birthday, in my opinion.
But wait, wasn’t I supposed to be working?
Oh yes, that’s right — I WAS supposed to be working.
But that’s the beauty of what I do.
And that’s the beauty of how I’ve designed my life, too.
For years, I’ve been striving for freedom and autonomy. I intentionally developed skills that allow me to work from home and manage my own schedule.
Which means when something important comes up like my wife’s birthday, I don’t have to miss it. I don’t have to put it off until later. And I certainly don’t have to work while others play, either.
No no — I get to be present for EVERYTHING.
Just the way I like it.
Anyway, just some food for thought if you’re still grinding it out for the big man.
Because the truth is, you don’t have to be.
And if you play your cards right, you could be spending the day watching movies on your wife’s birthday, too.
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Oh, and when you’re ready 