I'm Raising A CEO Who Can't Find His Shoes

Sometimes our family dinners turn into life coaching sessions. The other night, I asked Izak what he wants to achieve, improve, or change this summer.

He didn't hesitate.

"I want to get better at basketball and work on my business."

I asked him, "What's ONE thing you could do, stop, or tweak that would make everything else easier?"

What's the first domino?

The one that, when tipped over, sets others in motion behind it.

Because if Izak made a list of every single things he "should" do to improve basketball and grow his business, the list would be a mile long. And he's already busy.

My 17-year-old has plenty motivation and lots of discipline.

What he does NOT have yet is execution.

Not because he's missing the "want to" but because he's still learning the "how to".

In Izak's case, his time management is a huge area of opportunity. This Executive Functioning skill would improve SO MUCH for him... in SO MANY areas of his life.

His dad and I are continually baffled by the number of reminders he needs to complete a simple task.

We're encouraging him to work from a list and to use his phone to help him be more organized... instead of just for texting and YouTube.

I want to ask YOU this same question:

What's one skill, habit, or task you could master by the end of the summer that would put you one step closer to your Ideal Self?

What if you spent the next 90 days tipping the RIGHT domino instead of exhausting yourself trying to shove over twenty tiny ones at once?

What would fall into place by fall?

Let's Prepare - the warm up

What IS your domino?

Maybe it's:

• Eating more fiber
• Turning screens off by 9pm
• Taking a breath before responding when annoyed
• Meditation
• Journaling
• Walking 30 minutes/day
• Meal prep on Sundays
• Keeping a grocery list
• Lifting weights 3x/week
• Drinking more water
• Lights out by 10pm
• Hiring a housekeeper
• Hiring an assistant
• Practicing saying NO - and without having to apologize afterward

Let's Work - the exercise

Here's the important part:

You first have to honestly assess where you are and where you want to be. Otherwise, you end up trying to solve the wrong problem.

Let's use weight because it's so measurable and relatable.

Say Suzi wants to lose 10 pounds.

Most people usually jump to "eat less" or "exercise more".

But Suzi needs to dig deeper and ask herself why she's not that weight already.

Do I overeat? Yes? Why?

Because I'm exhausted? Why?

Am I not getting enough sleep?

Am I sleeping poorly?

Could I have a thyroid issue?

A vitamin deficiency?

Too much stress? Too little protein?

Too much restriction causing rebound eating?

Sometimes the issue isn't discipline. Sometimes the issue is biology. Sometimes it's burnout. Sometimes it's emotional.

Too many women spend years attacking the wrong end of the equation.

Exercising MORE for someone who's already overdoing it will actually contribute to the problem. (Working out increases your appetite.)

Restricting calories for someone who's vitamin deficient will likely make it WORSE, not better.

You get my drift.

Too many of us are trying to tip the wrong domino.

Talk it over with someone you trust to be honest and not judgmental. I'm here for you if you want to send me some thoughts.

For me, my patience needs help. Especially with Nadia, but in general.

I am going to practice taking a breath before I respond and I think I'll be better able to do that if I start my day with some journaling.

If I do this for 30 days and I don't see an improvement, I will try something else. I don't think this is too costly of an experiment for me. Totally worth it.

What about you?