[audio:https://www.jonathannation.com/jon0008new-season.mp3]
[download MP3 – 9:53]

Today is the first day my cubs are in a Mothers Day Out program.

If you have been a Stay At Home Parent, you understand the joy and fear that come with sending your child off to school for the first time. I experienced just that, along with overwhelming terror not too long ago when my wife came to me with the news that the program we want the girls in the fall was starting registration soon & we would have a higher chance of getting them in if we enrolled them now.

Today has been a great day for me, partially due to this idea shared with me by Rick White yesterday:

whatever your current assignment/job/situation, see the opportunities rather than the obligation

At first I was focused on the money, me just now getting use to being a Stay At Home Dad, and an unrealistic idea that I should jump right back into building businesses like I use to. Because I am focusing on the opportunities, and one more concept, I have had a great day.

That other concept is Little Bets, or in the book Great By Choice – first bullets; then cannonballs. Instead of having a full on and sold out “must win” bet, you take a little experiment; win or lose you analyse the data, and then decide what to do.

This also fits with the other idea I am trying to focus on now: Seasons

Yesterday I released a post I had been working on for a number of months. In the past I would get an idea & run hard at it, not considering the season of the year, or the externals.

Now I am focused on making sure the timing is right, not only at the start, but also to attempt to prevent a project from going too long.

Moving Forward

My first focus is still tied to being a Stay At Home Dad. This means I must take care of myself so that I can take care of my wife & children (currently two, but number three will show up this summer).

Part of this is participation in two Warrior Dashes in 2012. First one is in a couple of months. Second will be in the fall.

Ally Nation – Supporting Private Solutions to Public Problems
This sums up all projects I’ve done for years. I will do little bets within Ally Nation, but instead of officially focusing or committing to releasing stuff for StartingCube, Stay At Home CEO, or a number of other projects – I am focusing on this broad area & finding the right people.

Finally, there are just little things that have been delayed & should be done. They range from wills, to taxes, to disaster planning (or I Love You Wife, or whoever deals with all this stuff if I am hurt/dead).

All in all, I am trying to sail my ship the best I can. That means I must be prepared, observe the area around, and have all my gear ready to go when the wind is blowing. I hope you are doing the same.

NOTE: this was mostly written & recorded earlier this week, but editing pushed the release a little while … oh, I hear the babies … gotta go.