BTB Episode 162: How to Be Intentional in Marriage, Parenting & Business

“We need to determine what is most important to us in life, and then fit everything in around it. And I think it’s important to define success for you. And don’t define or measure your success by someone else’s standard.”

Amy and Jordan are back on the podcast to chat marriage, time management, working from home with kids and so much more. Long time listeners might remember that Amy and Jordan were the very first guests on the Brands that Book podcast and that we chatted about a similar topic. But it was a different season of life. It was pre-kids. So it was fun to catch up with them on what life looks like now as they expect their third.

Conversations with Amy and Jordan are some of my favorite. I’m really excited to share this episode and see what you think!

For anyone unfamiliar with Amy and Jordan, they’re photographers and top-notch educators. Be sure to check out all that they have to offer at AmyandJordan.com

Find it Quickly (In the Episode):

0:00 – Intro + the stress of moving
6:15 – What to do when interruptions happen in life
8:00 – Accepting the limitations of time
9:15 – What to do when it feels like life is preventing you from reaching your goals
10:15 – How to be more efficient if you don’t have kids yet
13:11 – What they regret about their pre-kid life
14:05 – A+J’s daily routine and priorities
16:45 – The importance of a strong marriage
17:45 – How to structure your day around your priorities
21:00 – Defining your legacy
23:00 – How to set boundaries to avoid regrets
26:00 – A+J’s morning routine
29:15 – How to stay productive during the workday (make every minute count)
33:10 – Managing kids’ expectations about work
34:00 – What is the bottom line impact of limiting your work time
34:55 – Batching tasks and the truth about multi-tasking
38:00 – Focusing on needle-moving tasks
40:00 – How to incorporate new habits
42:00 – Establishing a smooth bedtime routine
46:05 – Why the bedtime routine with kids matters
50:00 – How to carve good habits
54:00 – Teaching kids to do hard things (any why it’s important)
59:55 – Is it too late to instill these habits in older kids?
1:01:11 – Impact of nutrition and exercise
1:10:45 – Turning off the tv
1:14:10 – What to do if you feel guilty about being a working parent

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

• Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms
• The Lifegiving Home: Creating a Place of Belonging and Becoming
• 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think
• Atomic Habits
• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
• “Put first things first and second things are thrown in. Put second things first and you lose both first and second things.” – C.S. Lewis

Quotables

• “We need to determine what is most important to us in life, and then fit everything in around it. And I think it’s important to define success for you. And don’t define or measure your success by someone else’s standard.” – Amy & Jordan Demos
• “We’re not going to be able to do everything that we want to do every single day. Sometimes we have to say ‘that’s good enough for today.'” – Amy & Jordan Demos
• “It’s difficult to accept the limitations of time. We want to make everything that we do as perfect as we can possibly imagine it, and sometimes that perfectionism has ended up being our worst enemy and prevented us from productivity, from helping people, from sleeping or taking care of our basic needs.” – Amy & Jordan Demos
• “Learn to live in the tension.” – Amy & Jordan Demos
• “We all have hard things that are coming at us all the time, they just look different for every person.” – Amy & Jordan Demos
• “Our kids are gifted to us by God for a period of time. Our job is to steward them well for the time that they’re in our home (and of course beyond).” – Amy & Jordan Demos
• “We want to live the story that we want to tell one day.” – Amy & Jordan Demos