Family is important.

I think deep down, we all know that to be true. But too often, life gets in the way.

We get so bogged down just trying to put one foot in front of the other that we forget to stop and reflect on why we're working so hard in the first place.

I've been working in the tech startup environment for the last three years. I've always wanted to work in tech so from a career perspective, these years have been some of the most fulfilling of my life.

And the most stressful.

Startup life is chaotic and all-consuming. On any given day, my inbox is the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing I see before I go to sleep. Working on the weekends is routine. I once even busted out my laptop and a wi-fi hotspot to troubleshoot an issue from the food court in the San Diego Zoo.

I know.

I have a problem.

While this level of commitment has served me well and has propelled my career forward at a dizzying pace, it's also wreaked havoc on my physical health and my family life.

I didn't fully realize the extent to which these things were connected until recently.

Uncovering the Link

After weeks of failing to connect with my wife and kids in any kind of meaningful way, things reached a boiling point and I found myself embroiled in a heated argument with my wife. After we had both said our peace, I stormed off and got in my car. Unsure of where to go, I decided to just take a drive to see where I ended up.

My car practically steered itself to the nearest McDonalds.

I sat in my car, tears in my eyes, stuffing my face with food though I wasn't actually hungry. In that moment, I realized that I was trying to fill a void in my soul by cramming my stomach full of french fries.

And it was killing me.

This time it will be different.

This time, I'm not just going to focus on nourishment for my body. I'm going to focus on nourishing relationships with the people I love.

Going to Maker Faire with my family was an amazing experience. My son was bouncing-off-the-walls excited about it for days. And I wouldn't trade the undiluted excitement in his big, brown eyes for anything in the world.

Children are the future.

As I watched him run frantically across the fairgrounds, I couldn't help but wonder how this event would shape his future. Would he be a maker when he grew up? What would he make? How would he use his unique gifts and talents to change the world?

How could I help him become the person he was born to be?

How many moments like this have I missed over the years because I was too busy or career-focused?

I know one thing for sure.

One more is too many.