Well, perhaps Breakfast Meetings is a more appropriate phrase.
Maybe this isn’t a practical idea for you and your spouse, but maybe it is. Maybe it would be worth it to you. It has become invaluable to us. We get up together, make breakfast–usually just toast (for me) and a protein shake (for Shahram) and coffee. We sit down at the kitchen table, across from each other. This, now, is more developed than when I wrote about it last time. Now, we talk about our business ideas, plans, what we’ve done for the business since the previous day and we actually accomplish a lot. It’s a great start to the day for us and on those days we miss it because the baby wakes early or I sleep late from being up till the middle of the night watching LOST, we really do feel it. For us, this business isn’t just about having a business, it’s something new we’re doing together. If you don’t have a business with your spouse, and I’m betting most of you don’t, you have a world of other things to talk about, plan about, dream about together. Even going over the day’s necessities would be a great activity to make sure you’re both aware of the other’s schedule and the children’s.
Another reason breakfast meetings are nice is that they occur before all the mind-clutter enters your day. I’ve found that it’s much more cumbersome having conversations about the future at the end of the day than the beginning. By the day’s end, I’m tired, Shahram’s tired and the kids are past their peak energy, and often more needy, especially the baby. And yes, the kids are awake then. The breakfast meeting accomplishes connection, excitement, and nourishment. It’s a great time to find out what your spouse needs from you to be supportive of him or her that day. This is something new I’m thinking about. I’ve seen it several times lately… How can *I* support *you* today? I like it. I feel good knowing I can help and exactly what’s needed of me. I’ll write more on that in another blog.
For now, give it a try. Arrange a breakfast date with your spouse. Try it out for a few days. How does it feel? Do you feel closer at the end of the day? I do. In fact, the breakfast meeting makes me feel more loving all day. Since we’ve been having them, I’m more inclined to cook lunch for the family and to take lunch to Shahram. And it truly is with a loving heart. So, give it a try and let me know how it goes.
