#1 Family Matters and Construction is Family Friendly

Relationships make life worth living. Family relationships challenge us most and reward us best. To live with joy, we need to focus on family relationships and make them strong. So what’s this got to do with construction?

Kids love construction, mostly. The natural urge to build, whether with Legos or Lincoln Logs or simple wood blocks seems to be in almost all kids I’ve met. Of course, destroying things is an even bigger desire. If you’ve ever built sand castles with kids at the beach, the demolition seems to be the most relished aspect.

When you work in construction, you have a natural connection with your kids. They will be interested in what you do (if presented in small doses) because it’s real and comprehend-able. I hope you take your kids or grand-kids or nieces/nephews to the job site sometimes, to give them a great experience.

For most of us, construction happens locally. Though some workers must stay out of town for weeks and months, most people in construction work on local projects. You are building things in your community.

Finally, family businesses dominate in construction. Since small firms control such a large amount of the construction work (see #3 The Fast Whip the Big), family firms have a great advantage. Most of the firms I’ve worked with in my career have been family owned contractors, with all the thrills and chills that go along with that.

Of course, any job can be consuming and your construction job can easily become the central focus of your life. Just don’t let that happen. (That was easy, wasn’t it?). Use the family friendly nature of the construction business and live a balanced life. In the end, you’ll be glad you chose this amazing industry and that you managed all your relationships well. Good luck and have fun!