Optimising Time with Family - Mental Rockstar

Optimising Time with Family

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Christmas is a fantastic time to socialise, forget work and just hang out with our family and friends. For many people who are crazy busy with their careers, it is one of the very few opportunities to actually see everyone in person (finally!) and ask how they are doing. 

So the title of this blog Optimising Time with Family sounds counterproductive. Optimise is a verb we often use in relation to work or self-improvement, so why are we now using it when it comes to our personal relationships?

Optimise may not be a word we usually use in relation to family time. But recently, I was thinking… why not? We optimise work time and ensure we perform as well as we can and produce great results in the office. However, why are we not putting as much focus and attention to become the best we can be with our families, just as we do at work?

And I thought, perhaps, we have started to take our familial relations for granted. Our family members are always there for us and they’re the kind of people who just accept us for who we are, so we started to be lazy around them. Think about it: do you act differently when you’re with your family? A little bit messier, perhaps? A bit more careless? Or even a bit more judgmental?

This Christmas season, I hope you can take a little pause and observe how you act around your family members, and how you can act even better! Respond gracefully and respectfully (yes, even when someone is being rude). Take the initiative to offer help. Don’t cross the line by asking uncomfortable questions.

And most importantly, express your gratitude towards them as if they are valued colleagues or bosses (our parents are our first bosses, anyway). It might be a bit awkward if you’re not the type of person who is expressive when it comes to your family. But try to swallow that discomfort and speak words of gratitude and acknowledgement as much as you can. 

Train yourself to act as a leader no matter where you are and who you’re talking to. Let’s be the best version of ourselves when we’re with our family and friends, shall we?

Cheers, everyone! I hope your holidays are filled with bright laughter and lots of good nutritious food. Make wonderful memories with the people you love.

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