If you are following along on Instagram, you probably saw that I spent the last week at a beautiful resort in Cabo. This wasn’t just any trip – we shared this experience with three other amazing families, and I must say it’s one of my favorite trips to date.
However, this did not happen by accident, nor was it merely lucky. The wheels have been in motion for a trip like this for a very long time. This wasn’t the first like it, and it certainly won’t be the last for our family.
I often talk about using our wealth to serve our values. But what does that actually mean?
Well, here’s a real example:
One of my core values is intentionality.
Here is how I describe intentionality in my personal brand guide:
“Intentionality is the cornerstone to living a purposeful life.
It’s being deliberate and conscious in our choices and actions.
Intentionality refers to the quality of having a clear purpose behind what we do. It involves honoring our core values, setting specific goals, and aligning our actions with those objectives.
When we live with intention, we direct our energy and efforts towards pursuits that matter most to us, rather than simply going through life on autopilot or being driven by external influences.
With each decision we make, no matter how big or small, the opportunity to practice intentionality and stay in alignment is on the table. When we can pause and gut-check ourselves, we make room to ensure each move is a choice we made for ourselves.
At the end of the day, intentionality is our greatest hedge against failure. When we’re aligned with why we made the decision we did, then we can accept whatever outcome follows.”
Someone wiser than me once said, “Show me your calendar and your bank account, and I’ll show you what it is you actually value.”
I help people reverse that process. First, we must understand what we value, and then we can align our bank account and our calendar to serve those values.
Our trip to Cabo is a reflection of that intentionality.
Every year, my wife and I go through an annual planning process called the Perfect Calendar (hat tip to my brilliant friend Clay Hebert). This powerful exercise forces us to get clear on how we want to spend our most valuable resource – time. Part of this exercise is identifying our non-negotiables, aka our big rocks. We make sure that these go into the calendar first and that the rest of our year is planned around these big rocks.
One of our big rocks is spending time traveling with people who inspire us. One of those people for me is Dan Martell, and so we decided to plan this trip together. Dan sums it up perfectly in this tweet:
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of this trip was watching our children become best friends with their children. It’s such a special feeling to experience friendship through our children’s eyes.
Not only did we get to spend time with our dear friends, the Martells, but we each invited another family to round out the crew. I invited my close friend Carm, who is a member of my legendary sauna squad. Every week we get together and share our biggest wins and deepest challenges, and we lift each other up via vulnerability and accountability. He is one of the best dads I know, and we raise our children with shared values.
And to round out the crew, the Martells invited their friends, the Smiths. Melissa Smith, along with her husband Chris, is the founder of Family Brand. She helps families define their values and be more intentional with how they show up in the world (are you sensing a theme here?). Her work is deeply inspiring to me – to get a sense of what she is doing, check out this Family Culture Quiz.
My point is that each one of these families is showing up in the world and doing inspiring things.
The result of gathering together in this way was a magical experience beyond just the sum of its parts.
The depth of conversation this week was a true gift and one that will continue to inspire each of us long beyond the end of the trip. We laughed together, we worked out together, and we created memories that will last a lifetime.
These are the types of experiences that I seek to cultivate for myself and my family. In order to do that, I must be intentional about how I design my life.
Living an epic life is not an accident. It requires vision, planning, and yes, intentionality.
As you seek to build your own rich life, I invite you to explore the power of intentionality. Start to define how you want to spend your time and who you want to spend it with.
Even if you aren’t sure how you’ll get there, every great journey has to start with a vision of the destination.
Build a life you never have to retire from,
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