People sometimes ask me why I do what I do. To answer that, I think it’s important to understand how I got here.
I started out my career as an English teacher for kids and, while it could be draining, I thoroughly enjoyed it. What I didn’t like was dealing with the so-called “monster parents.” After two years, I had had enough and ventured out on my own. I built a small English school and have had the pleasure of helping a variety of people over the years. I helped teenagers get into college. I worked with managers so they could get promotions. I also had the opportunity to work with athletes preparing to go overseas, and with doctors on their presentations. I loved it, but I wanted more.
As luck would have it, 12 years ago, fate intervened. A friend from high school ended up being hospitalized for three months and I got to see firsthand the debilitating effects stress can have on a person’s body. Since that time, I devoted myself to learning everything I could about time management, productivity and personal development. I wanted to help people live better lives by sharing my thoughts and ideas. I do so in several ways: I write, go on podcasts, do interviews, and give lectures.
I work with individuals and businesses alike to help them boost productivity. While I love seeing businesses succeed and grow, there is something special about individuals transforming their lives. Personally, one of the most rewarding things is seeing people develop better relationships with their kids.
I am blessed to have an amazing wife and an incredible son. I remember Jim Rohn, the late American business philosopher saying, “Kids can do remarkable things – that is, if they have remarkable things to do.” That’s precisely what I did with my son. I gave him remarkable things. I challenged him to develop his body and mind through Karate, Aikido and swimming. He has gone on to surpass even my highest expectations.
I attribute his success in part to the relationship my wife and I have with him. Every day is filled with laughter and learning. We believe in working hard, and enjoying life at the same time. One of the things we love to do when we have time is play board games. They challenge minds to think in new and fresh ways but most importantly, they’re fun.
If you want to develop a rock-solid relationship with your kids, then it might be time to dust off those old board games in your closet or pop on to Amazon.
Put the gadgets away and sit down with one of these fantastic board games and I can pretty much guarantee you’ll not just have a barrel of laughs but you’ll come away with a closer bond with your kids.
MONOPOLY
My son’s all-time favorite board game. It’s been a best-seller for years because of the enjoyment of getting rich while destroying your opponents at the same time. Except for the negotiations that might go on, in my opinion, this game is 70% luck, 20% experience and 10% skill despite what people say, which makes it a perfect game for kids of all ages.
CLUE
I remember winning this game at a Halloween event back in 1983. I still have it and it’s just as good as it was then. It’s a thinking person’s game. Logic and luck combine to make this a great game of playing Sherlock Holmes.
CHARADES
My personal favorite. I love the challenge of getting my message across through acting. It’s great for tapping into creativity and thinking outside the box. As a child, we would play it at parties and the hosts would simply write down a bunch of movies and TV shows for people to act out. I loved it, but when I came across the boardgame at Toys R’ Us with a whole bunch of titles I’d never heard of before it, it really took things up a notch.
PICTIONARY
Pretty much the same as charades but done on paper. I’m absolutely useless when it comes to drawing, but I am competitive and love trying to come up with creative ways of getting my teammates to understand what my scratches mean. In my experience, this is a real party pleaser with people of all ages.
AXIS & ALLIES
This is a great game but be ready to set aside four hours to fully annihilate your enemies. It also slightly complicated and requires quite a lot of reading so I think it’s best to stick with their recommendation of being for kids aged 12 and up. This game teaches strategy, economics, teamwork and logistics.
RISK
A simplified version of Axis & Allies, it’s a strategy board game of diplomacy and conquest. It can go on, but most of my games finished within one or two hours. A favorite among many but it doesn’t make my top 10. Nevertheless, my friends always raved about it, so I think it deserves a place on this list.
CONNECT 4
The quickest game on this list. It can be taught in less than a minute and most games rarely last longer than a few minutes. When I was young, my father would wipe the floor with me at this game. It was really frustrating. But then one day, something clicked and I’ve loved it ever since. Nowadays, you can find games with a similar concept but in 3D for those looking for a real challenge.
TWISTER
A super easy game that has stood the test of time and is always a crowd-pleaser. What starts off as being easy soon results in mayhem and chaos with bodies falling all over the place. It’s a great party game and with a group of friends regardless of their age. In fact, this is one game being an adult can often be a disadvantage.
Honorable mentions: Catan, Dixit, Carcassonne, Blockus, Yahtzee, and Jenga
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