I started listening to a new book, When, by Daniel H Pink. The introduction talks about how we spend so much time and effort in deciding what we should do, and hardly any time or effort in when we should do things. When should we do our most important work? When should we take a nap or have important meetings? When should we get married? I haven’t finished the book yet, but so far he has answered all of those questions and backed them up with research.
It made me start thinking about my personal life and the relationships I have. When I do things in my relationships, not just what I’m doing, matters a great deal. There are a lot of difficult conversations that need to happen with my spouse and kids. Choosing when to have those conversations is important. Am I choosing to have those conversations when they are tired, hungry, frustrated, or discouraged? Am I having those conversations when I am tired, hungry, frustrated, or discouraged? Am I trying to squeeze them into a short time frame? Do I have those conversations when we are alone or with others present? Do I attempt to engage in a conversation when the other person is busy or distracted by something else they are doing? The bottom line, am I choosing a good time when I want to communicate with my loved ones?
I want to get the WHEN right and not just the WHAT in my relationships.
Work In Progress 