Dream

One of the responsibilities I have as a Dad, involves showing Atlas how to live his life. I don’t have any interest in dictating what he does, as much as I look forward to helping him understand the best how to live it.

I think most parents want their children to do better than they did. “Better” can mean a lot of things. To some parents, it’s about seeing their family portfolio expand. For others, it’s about seeing their children sprout wings and make their dent in the world.

In my occupation, I tend to meet a lot of interesting people. Over the years, I’ve analyzed a lot of these people to try and find a consistent theme. Most of these people (not all) live from their heart and their actions stem from that foundation.

When you live from the heart, the success criteria for your life changes a lot. It starts to feel a lot less like “lose 10lb…or else” to “did you eat healthy today? Yes or no?” And that mind set simplifies things a lot. It also makes it easier to forgive yourself when you make a mistake. Dust it off, kid. You’ll get it tomorrow.

Earlier this year, I came to an important realization; I needed to change the way I worked/lived. I also needed to reorient the way I viewed time, money and the assets I have in the team that works with me.

Projects take time to get off the ground. If you think that it’s a linear process to launch a business – let alone, multiple – I assure you that it’s more of a treasure hunt map than a series of connect-the-dots. Imagine cooking three courses at once. It’s possible when you the recipe, as well as the kitchen you’re cooking in.

“God made me fast – and when I run, I feel His presence.” – Eric Liddell, Gold medalist

Working in the field of technology is unique in that the tools you use to work with are perpetually evolving and improving to fit your needs better. As you get better at what you do, the tools enable you to do more with less time, effort and money involved. Very few industries operate this way, which is what makes technology so different.

Despite working in technology for most of my life, there’s one project that has always touched my heart, and it has absolutely nothing to do with a piece of data. I’ve worked on this project for over a decade and have finally started to see the wheels turn, partners come together and the beginning stages of a true milestone project coming together.

When you work on something for this long, it’s very easy to get discouraged. However, the time invested can also serve as a valuable guide to teach you the importance of being patient, waiting for the right moment to launch and the ever-important role of using the right tools for the job.

As an entrepreneur, I look forward to the day I can talk with Atlas about projects I’ve built and the lessons that were learned from each. It’s a much different conversation to have than sharing what it was like to work in a traditional job setting – not that there’s anything wrong with it.

At the end of the day, we all have the opportunity to set an example for the people around us, including our children, family, friend, clients and strangers we encounter. Most of these people won’t remember you for the amount of money you had in the bank, as much as they’ll remember your character and the way you made them feel.

Perhaps you have a passion project that you’ve been sitting on. Maybe it’s a motorcycle or a coat in your closet. It’s time to shake the dust off of it and bring your dream to life.

…or somebody else will do it for you.