My Dad Andy is a business coach so he’s pretty great at giving measured advice and helping people to work through obstacles, teach them how to be better leaders or advise them how to make their businesses run more efficiently. As a college student, I now look back at some of the things Dad instilled in me as a child and I can definitely see how he translated his key wisdom into lessons to live life by.
Life Lessons: Madison Bailey
My Dad
The Lessons He Taught Me...
1. Prepare for each moment to be a learning moment
Growing up, Dad taught my sister and I that, to be adaptable and successful, we had to be prepared for learning moments, which might not always be comfortable. Success never comes without taking risks, and there will always be surprises along the way. Dad taught me to use every experience in my life as a foundational moment—not to be stopped by adversity, to look for and learn from the lessons from any situation and build from there. College is the perfect place to practice this. Whether inside or outside of class, I’m always looking for learning moments, and I welcome new experiences.
2. Stick to your goals
From my early teenage years, Dad encouraged me to set goals, whether it was something as simple as picking up a hobby, trying a new sport or learning a new skill. Setting measurable goals didn’t have to be rigorous, they just had to be things that were important to us and could be achieved. To this day, I still like to keep a list of my goals for the things I’m doing and I’m interested in.
3. Preparation is the key to lower stress
When I showed up to college for my freshman year, I saw frantic students everywhere, trying to manage all of their newfound responsibility. I felt mentally prepared, and that made a huge difference. I had all the goal-setting, money and time-management skills established before I left home. And, yes, I will admit to Dad (and the world) that it’s due in part to the skills I learned growing up.
4. Value your friends and your family. Make time for both.
Luckily, I was raised by a dad who worked crazy hours and an insane day-to-day schedule. People ask me, ‘Why is that lucky?”. Thanks to his busy professional life, Dad had to learn how to prioritize time for himself and his family, and it took work. Of all the lessons I’ve learned from him, this is the one I remember each day. Dad put relationships first, and in addition to setting aside time to make sure he was available to all of us, he also made it a tradition to take my sister and me on individual father-daughter trips each year (something we still do).
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Life Lessons: Andy McAleese
I lost my dad, Robert, to cancer almost 20 years ago. His bold, thoughtful and reassuring nature has stood me in good stead throughout my life. He was someone who lead by example, believing that fulfilment comes from loving what you do, his own career change being testimony to this.
Life Lessons: Steven Dodds
As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to appreciate my dad immensely, and how he has shaped me. His onset of Alzheimer’s has forced me to look more closely at his merits and guidance, as the Dad I once knew slowly fades from view. I’ve come to realise that I’ve learned a great deal from my dad by watching and observing, not just from the ‘’pearls of wisdom’’ he has shared with me.