ST. CROIX INSIGHTS

Photo by Jude Beck

I’ve never enjoyed being yelled at by my mom. Even as a grown adult, it always upset me. (No matter how busy you think you are—even if you’re in a meeting or sleeping at 2 a.m.—when your mom calls, just answer it. A life lesson I’ve experienced firsthand.) But putting family first is something I’ve struggled with over the years

I know I’m not alone in this. At times, it feels like I have so many competing priorities in life that something has to give, and the thing that was sacrificed first was usually my family.

I’ve been working on it. It hasn’t always been easy, but as I’ve aged, my priorities have become clearer.

As I’ve come to discover, the most significant deciding factor in how I prioritize my priorities has been money. As a business owner, I’ve felt the financial pressure to make payroll for my employees and family, of being the one who writes the checks; sometimes it’s hard to step away.

But a healthy business can handle the periodic lack of attention by its owner every now and then. I have a great team, and I can always rely on them to keep the business moving in my absence. At the end of the day, I always know we’ll be OK, even when I’m putting family first.

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Ask yourself- can my portfolio support my lifestyle in my retirement?