If you only read ONE THING from us, we hope it is this.

Have you ever read an article or heard a story about the biggest regrets people have on their deathbed?

I have, and I can tell you one consistent theme: “I wish I didn’t work so hard and spent more time with my kids when they were young.”

If you have a career and young kids you need to pay attention. Take this seriously. Approach this topic with the same attention you would give to your most important work project.

Your time with your children is so limited. But we cannot see it while we are in it. We have a poor perception of time.

Generally speaking, you get out of college and start working. You have your whole life ahead of you…all the time in the world. Some years later you get married and a couple years after that you have kids (not everyone’s story, but speaking from my experience). When you have babies time actually slows down. Babies are amazing, but the impact of sleep deprivation is all-encompassing and something you can’t prepare for.

One day my wife and I were eating in a restaurant with one kid in a highchair and another in a stroller. We were so tired. An elderly couple walked by and the husband said to us, “these are the best days of your life…enjoy them!” They were right, but I couldn’t understand it at the time.

Those early years grind by until your kids are in school. And this is where something shifts with time. It goes from super slow to warp speed.

Your kids hit five years old and suddenly you are buried with school, sports, birthday parties and homework. Your schedules are jam-packed and weeks fly by. Emotions soar. And then months and years start flying by.

If you are not careful you will blink your eyes and your kids will be in high school. They are still your kids but they are not the same. And your house? Vacancy.

You go from cuddles, imagination and tons of laughter to studying, packed schedules and social stresses. They don’t run to the front door to greet you when you get home. They are out with their friends or at some practice somewhere.

This will happen so quickly and you won’t even know it until it’s too late.

So here’s what you need to do: get insanely intentional.

Grab a notebook TODAY and make a list of:

1. Things you want to do with them. Magical things like Disneyland. Adventures. Service projects. Etc.

2. Things you want to impart to them. Generosity. Risk taking. Financial acumen. Etc.

3. Threats to your schedule over the next few years and how you can spot and prevent them.

Someone told me once that you will make most of the money in your lifetime in your 40’s and 50’s. I actually wish I thought about this and worked less in my 30’s when I had young kids. Parenting life is not over when you have teenagers. But those magical grade school years are gone.

One of the great ironies in life is that careers start peaking at the same time your family life is peaking. Two amazing things and both fighting for your time and attention. But, despite what the have-it-all gurus promise, you only get 24 hours a day and you can only devote full attention to one thing at a time.

You have decades to make money. But you have less than a decade to create a lifelong connection and memories with your kids.

So, get intentional and ensure you are living the life you want instead of just going with the flow.

Do not set yourself up for regret.