I Will See My Parents 252 Times Before They Die
Time waits for no one, no matter how important your job is
I recently came across a clever but depressing little website called See Your Folks. When you get to the site, you plug in a few simple facts, like how many times you see your parents per year and how old they are. Then See Your Folks calculates for you how many times you’re likely to see them … before they die. It turns out that my number is 252.
This reality check has reminded me again how crucial it is to find ways to step outside of the moment and see any business venture for what it is: one part of a life’s work, not your entire reality.
After all, for a while now the line between my professional life and personal life has been pretty blurry. Transforming a startup into a global tech company has been a thrill. But it’s left me with a lot less time to see my parents.
So, I made a decision recently — one that’s so obvious it sounds like a cliche and yet is almost universally ignored by people in the tech and startup world. I resolved to find ways to maintain a healthy and holistic perspective on life. If you find yourself checking work emails every five minutes while you’re out with friends, spending less time with the family and worrying about Monday morning on Saturday afternoon, it might just be time to add that resolution your list, as well.
So what does a healthy, holistic perspective look like? I definitely don’t have all the secrets, but I think work-life balance (yes, another cliche) is key. For some people that could mean slotting in more yoga or softball with friends or short vacations. For others, it’s more quality time with family. I think social media — as much as it can be a dangerous virtual rabbit hole — can actually be a useful tool to stay rooted, too. Every day, I use Twitter and Facebook from my office to commiserate, celebrate and bounce ideas off of friends and colleagues. It keeps me connected to the wider — and more important — world beyond my business.
Having a healthy and holistic outlook on life is also about keeping your sights set on the bigger picture and finding a greater sense of purpose beyond the day-to-day. Earlier this year, we secured a $165 million investment, a number that I couldn’t have imagined five years ago. With all that capital, comes a whole new set of responsibilities. For me that could have meant prioritizing my work even more … and putting off that trip to the parents for another few months.
But 252 times … that really puts things into perspective. Time, and life, wait for no one—no matter how important your job may be.
How do you keep your professional life in perspective? What helps you step outside of the everyday grind and see your life for what it really is?
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