A Beautiful Little Time Together
We seem to be coming to the understanding that meetings at work often accomplish very little. Companies are constantly finding ways to either trim minutes (or people) from meetings. Over one hour and you’re wasting peoples’ time. Seven people of more and there are too many talking heads.
So what about this on your calendar: 1:1? One-to-one time is great for managers and their reports, trainers and their trainees, but anything more can zap the day. After a few 1:1 meetings in a day and you’ve only filled your head with more information.
But all of this is work. Let’s talk about 1:1 time with your spouse, children, or friends. How important is 1:1 time with these people? Absolutely critical. It goes without saying that 1:1 time with your spouse is probably the most important. My wife and I can feel it when we haven’t had a date in a while. We get cranky.
Scheduling 1:1 time with your children is of equal importance. In a family unit like mine, where there are four of us, we make a point to split off in pairs. If your family is busy, sometimes you have to take the 1:1 time when you can. For my eldest son and me, it’s in the mornings on the way to school. He opens up to me then like no other time. For my younger son, it’s on our afternoon walks when Mommy’s out picking up big brother. It’s a beautiful little time together.
Call to Action:
Identify when yours and a family member’s schedule aligns and schedule it in.
Any duration is worth it. Five minutes here, or ten minutes there—it all adds up.
1:1 time can happen in the presence of other people. Create an intimacy boundary simply by asking for it.
Treat 1:1 time with your family and friends as sacred, distraction-free zones. Silence the phone. No technology at all, if possible.
And give, give, give. That’s what 1:1 time is—giving the other person 100 per cent of yourself.
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Photo by Matheus Ferrero on Unsplash