You don’t become a better parent or employee by not enjoying your life.

You have fewer than 1,000 Saturdays with each child in your care before they’re grown up.

Fortunately, being mindful of family time – making a commitment to be there physically and mentally and enjoy life while doing so – makes memories possible. We control a lot less about our children’s outcomes in life than we think. They are their own people. But one thing parents do shape is whether kids remember their childhoods as happy. Creating a happy home is a conscious choice, as is creating a happy marriage.

Reading fiction as you commute to a job you don’t like will make you feel somewhat more fulfilled; being in the right job will make you feel incredible.

The key to this is realizing that life isn’t lived in epiphanies, and that looking for lessons and the necessity of big life changes in dark moments profoundly limits our lives.

Getting adequate sleep is a sign that the world doesn’t need your attention for seven to nine hours each day. It keeps spinning as usual in its orbit. Who wants to admit that?

We have plenty of time. Averaged over the entire American population, people watch almost as much television as they work. If people don’t exercise, it’s because they don’t want to exercise. Time becomes the scapegoat. Time becomes the scapegoat for all sorts of things, which explains the phrase “If you want something done, ask a busy person.

Planning a few anchor events for a weekend guarantees you pleasure because – even if all goes wrong in the moment – you still will have derived some pleasure from the anticipation.

I believe that consciously choosing to create such memories will stretch the experience of time.

If you wait until the end of the month to save what you have left, there will be nothing left over. Likewise, if you wait until the end of the day to do meaningful but not urgent things like exercise, pray, read, ponder how to advance your career or grow your organization, or truly give your family your best, it probably won’t happen, If it has to happen, then it has to happen first”.