This WSJ article is a bit dated, but it captures an interesting idea: Bill Gates spends seven days in seclusion twice a year just to think.
Of course, he brings a lot of reading material, maintains an intense schedule, and dialogs with the outside world as he works.  The fact that he builds an intentional amount of space into his life is very interesting.

I wonder how many other leaders do something similar?  Without stepping away from the daily grind, how would a leader be able to gain a fresh perspective on their business?  I think some kind of cycle of renewal and recreation is needed for any leader to be truly effective.  It may not look the same for everyone, but I believe the need to step back and look at things with fresh eyes.

I’m not sure how I will implement this idea, even if on a smaller scale - but I plan to try.

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A few days ago, the weather was beautiful here on the Central Coast, so Isaac and Kristen headed up the coast to play a the beach.  Here’s a few pictures of their adventures:

Isaac is already watching the sets… will he be a surfer?

“Are you still watching me, Mommy?”

Playing in the sand

“If I fill this up, can we take it home?”

Ready to call it a day.

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I was on a business trip to Atlanta last week and stumbled upon a restaurant I had never been to before… surprising, I know, since I’ve been to Atlanta a total of two times now.

Nevertheless, Brio’s Tuscan Grille was a great escape from the conference I was attending.  The food was great. We ate outside on the patio, and the weather was perfect. 

To top it all off, they had live music that was very good.  Just a singer and his guitar, but he had to be about my age because he played Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews, Counting Crows, Barenaked Ladies, Sting, John Mayer, David Gray, Maroon 5, and Pete Yorn.  All artists I like… oh and did I mention the crab cakes? Mmmmm…

Brio’s in downtown Atlanta

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Isaac has been more and more fun the last few weeks.  He’s developing
such an amazing personality - and a joy for life that is really
contagious.  He’s always smiling and laughing and just having a blast.

Yesterday I let him pet our neighbor’s black lab.  He was giggling and smiling so much it was hilarious.  About a half hour later, we had driven to the store and I asked him if he had fun with the dog.  He broke out in a big grin and did his best, “Bark! Bark!” impression.  It was pretty cool to see him remember something for a bit longer.

Isaac loves technology, and his grandparents recently picked up a toy laptop for him.  Here’s a picture of him sitting in his Papa’s chair with is laptop… just like Papa does!

Isaac and his laptop

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Isaac has been tons of fun lately.  I love playing and laughing with the little guy… it’s just a blast.

This weekend we celebrated Easter with Kristen’s family, and my mother-in-law made a strawberry pie - my favorite!  Isaac seemed to be a fan as well!

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One of Isaac’s favorite toys is his Tigger Airplane.  It has a propeller that spins and makes tons of great noises.  He loves to push it all over the house, and lately he’s been storing other items in the storage compartment under the pilot’s seat.  It is always funny to see what he thinks of to put in there.  Usually it’s a ball or a small book.  But every once in a while we’ll find a remote or the fireplace starter key. 

Hmmm… maybe that’s where my sunglasses went……

Isaac and his airplane.

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Isaac continues to grow and develop right before our eyes.  These days he’s starting to babble more and more, and able to communicate quite a bit.  He’s also just a ton of fun.  Here’s a few pictures to capture “a day in the life” of Isaac.

Isaac and I watched quite a bit of the NCAA tournament this year.  He prefers the comfort of his own chair.

I was installing a new curtain rod for Kristen, and Isaac wanted to help.

My two favorite people…

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