What's the Mission Right Now?
Nearly 11 weeks ago I transitioned to life as a father of two.
And as much as we tried to anticipate the transition, the reality of parenting a newborn and a toddler at the same time has been… intense.
There’s a simple truth I often use with clients:
“This season of life isn’t the problem; it’s how we’re managing it.”
And this fall, I found myself smack in the middle of a new season. Trying really hard, reacting to everything, but never really feeling on top of anything. In other words: I wasn’t managing it well, at all.
Here’s what that looked like:
I was as committed as ever to growing my business. My days were filled with great client calls, inbox follow-ups, and big ideas. But also, a bunch of half-finished marketing efforts that felt important… but weren’t actually moving the needle.
I was trying to be a present partner and dad — and I was doing okay, most of the time — but Caitlin and I barely had 10 uninterrupted minutes together any given day, and those were spent triaging family logistics with one eye on the baby monitor.
I managed to keep riding my bike 6 days a week (thank goodness for indoor setups). That’s the one thing I refuse to drop. I know from experience that when I’m training consistently, I’m sharper, calmer, more grounded. That was a priority I protected… but it didn’t feel like part of an intentional, aligned life. It felt like survival. And honestly, it felt selfish.
We were in go-mode. Every day was a scramble. Amid the under-slept and over-caffeinated chaos, we didn’t even know what success looked like.
Which — on the one hand — is completely understandable. The job with any newborn is to keep her alive and not worry too much about everything else.
But I also had very real competing priorities to honor.
And then it hit me:
This is literally my job. I help ambitious people clarify their goals, align their actions, and make meaningful progress toward the life they want.
And I realized I hadn’t done any of that for myself lately.
So I got to work.
✏️ ONE BIG THING: Name the season you’re in — and write the mission for it
The next night after the kids were asleep, I sat down with my journal and asked:
What do we actually want this season of life to be about? What needs to be true right now for us?
Not in an idealistic, dream-board kind of way.
But in a real-world, constraints-and-all kind of way.
I wasn’t trying to build the perfect plan.
We just needed an honest one — something we could understand, implement, and stick to.
Here’s some of what I considered:
What are our real constraints right now?
What matters most — not in general, but right now?
What needs to be protected?
Where do we need to give ourselves permission to ease up?
What are we not able to do right now — and that’s okay?
And then I workshopped what I now call our Seasonal Mission Statement — a clear, 1–2 sentence definition of what success looks like in this chapter.
Here’s a simplified version of ours:
This season is about intentional family support, protected physical wellness for both of us, and an all-in business growth push toward [my specific revenue goal].
We will protect our marriage as the foundation that carries all of it.
And to give each part a little context:
Supporting our kids and protecting our marriage may sound obvious — but in our current fog, naming them explicitly felt like a win.
Physical wellness is an unsung hero. My commitment to fitness isn’t going anywhere, so the best way to feel less guilty about that time is to encourage and protect Caitlin’s wellness goals, too.
And then there's the all-in business growth push. I expect this one may ruffle some feathers. I can already hear the muttered "work-life balance" comments. But here's our truth:
My business revenue is our family’s only source of income. There’s no paid family leave. No benefits. No calling in sick.
Me cutting back on work means less stability for the whole family. Me pushing forward? That creates more stability for the whole family.
Between Caitlin and me, there’s balance. But for me specifically — this season cannot be about balance. (The next season might be. But I’ll worry about that after I hit the goal.)
That Seasonal Mission Statement became our filter.
If a decision supports the mission, it gets a yes.
If it doesn’t, it gets postponed — or it gets a no.
We don't need to be everything to everyone.
We just need to be clear about what matters most — and act accordingly.
⚡ QUICK TIP: Define success for now, not forever
Your life is going to evolve.
The version of success you’re chasing should evolve with it.
If you’re constantly overwhelmed, vaguely dissatisfied, or feeling like you’re falling short no matter how hard you work — it might be time to step back and ask:
What would real success look like this season?
What would need to be true to make that happen?
What can wait until later — and that’s okay?
This isn’t about lowering your standards. It’s about raising the relevance of the effort you’re putting in — so your energy actually has a chance to pay off.
And saying to yourself as clearly as possible:
“This is what life needs to look like right now until my key goals for the season are met. Then I’ll worry about what’s next.”
❓ Money Question: What’s the real job of this season?
Not the performative job.
Not the job you think you’re supposed to be doing.
Not the job everyone else assumes you’re aiming for.
The real job. The one that matters right now.
Is it:
Rebuilding trust around money in your relationship?
Stabilizing after a major life change?
Finally protecting your margin instead of burning yourself out?
Saving or investing a specific amount — and creating a plan to get there?
Give this season a clear “I’ll be done when [x] is true” goal.
Then write the mission — and let that shape everything else.
Because you’re not waiting on a date.
You’re working toward a destination.
📝 A Final Word
This isn’t some polished idea I’ve been sitting on for months.
It’s real. It’s recent. It’s raw.
And it’s already changed the way I’m showing up each day.
I’ve been trying this out in coaching sessions lately, and it’s clicking for clients, too — helping them stop spinning their wheels and start making real progress.
So I wanted to share it here now.
If you’re in a chaotic season and need help untangling your priorities, let’s talk. Coaching doesn’t have to be forever. But it can make a world of difference — especially if right now feels like a lot.
→ Schedule a Free Clarity Session
And if you’re a business owner, don’t miss next week’s newsletter where I’ll be sharing how this exact framework helped me cut wasted workflows, boost revenue (seriously), and stay focused on what actually drives growth.
It’s going to be a good one.
Thanks for reading.
— Andrew
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