This is a picture of a sunset at my cottage.
I’ve used it as the lead-in to this blog post because the sun is about to set on one chapter of my life.
[I’m a poet and don’t even know it. Har har har.]
Now, some of you reading this may already know what’s going on…
Others, may not.
Either way, the goings on that I’m about to reveal have inspired my thinking over the last while and now, I’m at a point where I feel sharing these thoughts with you, my loyal subscribers, is prudent.
You see, I’m a firm believer in the idea of buying the person before the product or idea.
I use this in many different scenarios in my life.
For example, when I’m deciding which contractor to go with to do some work on my house.
I’ll ask questions that having nothing to do with the work, just to get a handle on what this person is all about.
If I feel the person’s got good character, I’ll choose them over others who may have a better price or a slicker presentation.
This is a change from what I used to do, which was always go for the best deal, but since the change, my outcomes have improved, so I’m going to continue with this approach.
Anyway, this is why I’m sharing what I’m about to share with you – so you can understand me as a person and where I’m coming from, because where I’m coming from is about to change.
Big time.
So here it is:
I’m going to be a DAD
Yep, very soon, my wife will give birth to Baby Wong (gender unknown) and a totally new chapter of my life is about to begin.
We decided the time was right, not to mention the fact that we’ve got to respect the biological clock, so we decided to go for it and BLAMMO – egg fertilized.
My wife is due mid to late August, so there’s only a few short weeks until life as I know it will change for good.
Not much changed the first 4 months or so of the pregnancy…
However, since then, my perspective been shifting.
It’s probably due to the questions I’ve been asking myself like, “How can I be a good dad?” and “What are the most important things I can do to ensure my child has a good character?”
These questions have forced me to take a hard
look at my own approach to life and
I’ve come to some BIG realizations…
One is that I’ve always been a very individualistic dude.
That’s probably why I love MMA and martial arts so much.
It’s probably why I could only last working for someone else for 4 months before starting out on my own as an entrepreneur when I graduated from university.
It’s also probably a source of much of the conflict that’s happened over the years in my relationship with my wife (she always told me this, I just never listened).
But with Baby Wong on the way, my mindset has been shifting to being more other-centric.
Good thing, because raising a child while trying to live your own life is a recipe for failure.
I’ve also been taking a deeper look at how and why I do things in all areas of my life, one of which concerns you: what I put out into the world via my business.
Like I said, I’ve been a very individualistic guy and as such, I’ve basically run my business however I wanted and have done everything myself.
Whenever I’d catch wind of something that interested me, I’d do it.
While it’s been a fun ride and I’ve been able to help a lot of people change their lives for the better (based on feedback I’ve received), my ultimate goal has always been to serve myself before serving others.
Basically, I’ve been SELFISH.
It doesn’t mean I’ve been trying to screw you over (I haven’t), but I have to be honest and say that I have been looking out for myself first.
And while I think it’s important to follow the “oxygen-mask principle” (put your own oxygen mask on first when your plane is going down before trying to assist others), I’ve come to the realization that my business and what I put out to the world is not meant to serve me, but to serve YOU.
So I’m revamping my approach to my business and creating it based on how I think it’ll best serve YOU.
To do this, I’ve been working through a book called Traction by Gino Wickman, and one of the things that’s important to be clear on is the Purpose and Core Values from which my business operates.
It all goes back to character – these are the points that make up the character of my business and from which all decisions are made.
I’m making them known to you because I want you to make sure they resonate with you, as I feel that’s the way to a successful long-term relationship.
So here they are, the Purpose and Core Values from which my business (Mixed Martial Media Inc.) operates:
Our Purpose
To help martial artists get in top shape
Our Core Values
1. Deliver a Simplified Scientific Approach
2. Operate with Integrity (Stay True To Our Word)
3. Deliver Measurable Results
4. It’s a Team Effort
5. Have Fun
The next step in this process that Wickman teaches is to communicate exactly what these points mean in more depth.
That’s my plan for the next post, which I’d like to do via video so you can see how authentic all this really is.
But before then, I’d like to hear YOUR thoughts.
It’s taken a lot for me to share this and I’ve been as transparent as I can be because like I said, this is a new chapter in my life and I if you choose to continue this journey with me, I want you to know exactly where I’m coming from.
So what do you think about all of this?
Does it sound weird?
Does it sound exciting?
Does it make you think of doing something similar in your own life, whether it be to your business, how you operate at work, or how you operate in your life in general?
I’d love to hear your thoughts so please share them below.
Oh, and if you’ve got any prudent advice for a Dad-to-be, I’m all ears.
– E
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