Have you seen the picture of my calendar for this week (see below)? I haven't seen a week like this in a very long time! No scheduled appointments or calls or meetings or sports games...totally blank. The kids are off for spring break, and we decided to take the kids on a cruise. I know, cruises aren't the sexiest of vacations for a lot of people, but the idea of only driving two hours to a port, not planning any meals or activities for 5 days, plenty of stuff for the kids to do, and going to a few islands in the Caribbean sounded like a nice getaway. Plus, my wife and I set our eyes on each other for the first time 23 years ago on a cruise so it's also a little sentimental for us, ha.
My daily Enneagram usually encourages me every couple weeks to 'have a day where you do nothing' which is nearly an impossible feat for my personality type. I love the concept, but between the businesses and life it just isn't entirely realistic. In business, I've built a reputation around being the guy that responds with lightning speed and has diligent follow up, and it has certainly worked to my advantage over the years. However, being able to clear my schedule for this trip is an amazing feeling. Will I have my laptop and probably broker and close out some domain deals? Yes. Will I respond to texts related to camp or hiring potential interns or something else related to Grit? For sure. But it will be in the pockets of time that I allow myself to respond. To have this type of time with the family with unlimited activity, my focus is to be in the moment and enjoy what's in front of us at the time. There are always little pockets that emerge that I can re-engage with life back here, and I do think that's important so things don't fall too far behind or I put myself into a situation of having to come back from the trip with a barrage of urgent issues.
I'm no expert on carving out blank time as I stated previously this is not my strong suit. But when I have been able to do this before, I always appreciate the renewed perspective that I bring back with me. There is a clarity that seems to emerge once we can mute the noise of a hectic schedule. So, if you reach out to me this week and I don't respond in my usual expeditious way, don't take it personally. This is planned! I am excited to see what life will unfold for us this week, and I hope the same for you.
