Paul knew he was a pretty self-aware person — he'd been on a personal development path for years — but he had no idea just how far he could go on this journey until he became a parent.

Having kids, he quickly realized, turned out to be the most intense crash course in personal growth he could have ever signed up for.

It's made him redefine just about everything in his life — his values, his intentions, his concept of success, his sense of purpose, his relationship to his work, his sense of confidence and inner solidarity. Nothing in his life has been untouched by becoming a parent.

It's been a wild ride and nothing like Paul expected, but it's also put his life into perspective in the most clarifying, fulfilling way.

In an effort to become the best person and dad he can be, he's been on a quest to learn everything he can about conscious parenting, which he explains and gives plenty of examples of in this week's podcast.

Listen in to hear Paul share his journey with us in this week's interview with a normal person, and hear us talk about:

• How getting married sparked a lifelong journey of personal growth, self-awareness, and intentional living.
• His path to redefining what success meant for him, after meeting all of his achievement goals and realizing he was miserable and unsatisfied.
• The most important question to ask yourself to determine if you truly want to have kids.
• The difference between having one kid, which was life-changing enough, to having two kids, which rocked his world and sparked massive change in his family.
• How parenthood catapulted his personal growth beyond what he ever could have imagined.
• What "conscious parenting" means and how to start implementing it, whether or not you have kids yet.
• Why it's OK to screw up at being a parent, and how to release your self-judgment when you don't get it right.
• Resources, tools, and tips he's found valuable along the journey of conscious parenting.

After you've listened, leave a comment to let us know how Paul's story resonates with you!

MORE ABOUT PAUL

Paul grew up in a suburb of Chicago with a younger brother and two parents who raised him in a home filled with love and a willingness to do anything to see their kids succeed. Anchored by the traditional definitions of success, Paul was able to graduate from a competitive liberal arts school, finish at the top of his MBA class, and work his way up the corporate ladder to achieve an income beyond his imagination. Despite these achievements, much of his motivation to succeed came from external validation and recognition, rather than from a true internal passion, which always left a void in him.

Eight years ago, Paul and his wife picked up and moved to Colorado, where they've been on a journey together to come to understanding their passions and defining success for themselves through the power of coaching, self-improvement, and intentionality. Paul just turned 40 years old and is currently facing the most exciting time of his life...the opportunity to parent his 1-year-old and 4-year-old children to help them define their OWN success and find their OWN passion! Unfortunately, kids don't come with a manual, and the only parenting experience that he had was that of his own childhood. Feeling a lack of confidence in this important job, Paul set out on a journey to come up with a parenting style that would help him maintain a positive relationship with their children, while still giving them the tools to live the lives that they wished to be. Earlier this year, Paul stumbled across the concept of Conscious Parenting and has been "all in" ever since.

LET'S GET 2019 OFF TO THE RIGHT START

The new year is right around the corner. Cue wide eyes and mild panic!

…Or not. Because hey, not every year needs to be a repeat of the last! You'd be amazed by how much can shift in just a few months with a little consistency, accountability, and a willingness to make change.

So if you'd like 2019 to be vastly different than 2018 (or 2017, or 2016…), then we're happy to talk to about the prospect of 1-on-1 coaching.

Reach out to us here and we'll talk it out together.

PARENTING RESOURCES

The Conscious Parent

Zen Parenting Radio

The Parenting Junkie

Headspace

The Self-Driven Child

Parenting with Love & Logic

How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen

Breaking your phone addiction with Kristen Kalp

LINKS

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