A timely, insightful, and inspiring story of a man who was downsized (his company and not his waistline), and spent a year taking stock and living the life he really wanted. Among the things he did:- giving up alcohol
- losing 20 kilos
- do some hands-on parenting: taking the kids to school, packing their lunches, helping out in the school canteen, going away on Lads and Dads trips
- week-long vacation in Tasmania with his mate
- preparing for the Bondi-to-Bronte ocean race
- picking up surfing and long-distance running again
- learning to paint
- vacation/second honeymoon in London, France, and Italy
Forget the funny stories and the anecdotes. If there's one thing to be learned from this book, it is this. I quote:
"I have a confession - looking after four young children isn't always as rewarding as performing well in a business meeting. It is sometimes fantastic to be able to leave the domestic chores behind and go on a business trip. I do get a large part o f my identity from my role at work. I find it enormously satisfying and motivating to be part of a group of people that is engaged in common endeavor towards a shared goal..... So am I recommending all men to just give up trying to lead more balanced lives? No, I'm not recommending anything. I haven't got any answers. I do, however, look at things in a different way now. I have stopped looking for perfection. Having spent my life so far seeing only black and white, I am now more comfortable with grey. Life is hard, and as far as I can see it will be hard. The vast majority of us will always have to struggle - whatever lifestyle choices we make. Admitting this to myself was liberating in its own right. I then started to put my focus on trying to enjoy the struggle rather than attempting to create a mythical stress-free nirvana. I've started to praise myself for the small victories rather than beat myself up for the bigger failure of not having a perfect life."
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