When life gets busy it can become even more difficult to find quality time with those who are important in our lives. It may feel like there’s not an extra moment to spare in your day between the busyness of your personal and professional schedule.  Running a business and keeping up with the family takes a tremendous amount of energy.   Even if an allotted time is placed on the schedule we may be too distracted by phone calls, projects and everything else that needs your attention to really focus on that person.  It doesn’t have to be a large chunk of time but it does need to be valuable for all parties involved.

Do you spend quality time with your spouse, kids, friends, clients, partners, and family members on a regular basis?  How do you make sure the time you spend with the different people in your life is valuable?

• Clients – when is the last time you took a customer out to lunch and listened.  Their feedback is valuable to your business and they know better than anyone else what your business is doing that makes them excited about working with you as well as areas where you can improve.  Follow up with a thank you note and implement the changes immediately.  Creating a community of loyal customers takes time to gain their trust and maintain the relationship.

• Spouse – go on a date night with your spouse.  Talk about your relationship, dreams, and memories you have together.  Hold hands, laugh, and enjoy each other like you did when you first met.  Listen to what your spouse is saying.  Take an interest in their hobbies and share the excitement.

• Friends – go out to coffee with a friend and catch up.  Find out what is going on in their lives.  Sometimes all they need is a hug and someone to listen.  It is nice to have some time set aside to share the good memories, however, we all go through tough times as well.  Having  friends that are loyal in the good times and bad is a tremendous blessing.  Consider it a joy to come alongside a friend throughout their journey to listen, laugh, cry, share, and have fun.

• Children – go on a date with one child at a time.  Have a blast together.  Let them speak freely, be creative, and create memories.  Pick a place that is meaningful to them or let them choose between a couple options.  It doesn’t have to be expensive to be fun.  Go to a picnic in the park, swimming, or out to eat at their favorite restaurant.  Take time everyday to read a book, play a game, color, or just share about your day with your kids.  Treasure the moments and memories your create together.

We all have the same amount of time as the next person.  The difference is how we choose to use that time.  Take advantage of those quality moments and invest in the lives around you.    Make it a priority to have quality time for those in your personal and professional life.  One of the great advantages to having quality time outside of the house or office is you are more likely to focus on the other person.  At home or work you have a lot of distractions that are important, however,  they are not the priority at that time.

Give us an example of the types of activities you do while enjoying quality time with  your clients, spouse, kids, and friends?  Who do you spend quality time with on a regular basis and why?