Focusing on the bigger goals has been easier for me since getting married and having a family. Your priorities become crystal clear, especially with children. It was obvious to me that there was not enough time in my life for all the things I needed to get done, so I had to evaluate what my ultimate goals were.

What was more important, dust-free living, or reading to or hugging that sweet bundle of joy? Put that way, it was an easy decision. I guess I have let the small things slip, or otherwise delegated them.

Whether you are dealing with prioritizing your day at work, or managing the priorities of your life, the same rule applies: the higher up the list of priorities the ‘task,’ the greater the payoff. The reward may not be as immediate or as tangible as other less important tasks, but the payoffs are always bigger.

It seems obvious when you stop and think about it. Focusing on your family and life will bring you more happiness than putting in the extra hour at work. But how often do people let this fact go ignored and spend their days (and life) focused on the little pieces?

A close friend and I had our girls pretty much at the same time. We also both had businesses to run. She says it so succinctly: "I can hire out part of running my business, or I can have somebody else raising my children." The directness of that statement always rings in my head. If something has got to get delegated, it better be something lower down the priority list.

The same is true in our business. In some ways, having Emery Rose (and in just a few weeks, her sister) has made me better at Holden & Co. With so little time, I have had to focus on just the highest priorities, spending almost all my energies on the future, marketing, the computer database, advertising and of course writing newsletters.

We were extraordinarily lucky to have Maria come into our life just when Emery Rose did. She saves us. She takes care of all the operations, quite frankly so much better than Gail and I ever did, and allows us to focus our energies were we should. She is the ultimate master of knowing her priorities. Just ask any of her four wonderful kids and her husband.

I am finding out that focusing on the higher priorities, in both our business and my personal life, brings bigger rewards. Maybe not today. Often the rewards are not obvious immediately. It takes time for the big pay off, but the effort is always worth it. I can’t wait for my fiftieth wedding anniversary, surrounded by my happy children...

xoxox, Karen