Last week, I messed up.
I promised Barney we’d play baseball in the garden.
His eyes lit up.
He rooted around in his room to find his mitt.
Faster than a dog itching for a walk he was at the door with his trainers on.
But then…
Something came up.
A “work thing.”
Something I convinced myself was urgent (it wasn’t).
So, I bailed.
I broke a promise.
Not good.
You know the one “life lesson” I’ve learned in this game?
Work doesn’t care about broken promises.
It doesn’t care that your kids take the hit every time something “urgent” pops up.
You stay strapped to the desk. Trapped to the grind.
And even after years of doing it, every time feels like a gut punch.
Just like it did last week.
The look on his face…
You see it on yours too every time you whisper to yourself…
“One more hour, one more project, or even one more quarter.”
But here’s the thing, deep down, you and I both know the truth.
These “urgent” work things?
They rarely are.
Because when you’re overworked, tired, and standing still… everything starts to look like a fire that only you can put out.
And so I did what most men do in these situations: I tried to justify it to my son.
Spewing out strings of excuses.
But the truth is…
Your kids don’t care about your excuses.
All they care about is you delivering on the promises you make.
So, what did I do next?
I looked him in the eye and said, “I messed up. I’m sorry.”
Then I shut the hell up.
Because, in my experience, the more you ramble—spitting out excuses, trying to make yourself feel better—the less respect you get back.
And most importantly, your silence keeps you from sounding like a lying arsehole.
So next time you fcuk up, whether it’s at work or home…
Lock eyes and say you’re sorry.
Then shut up.
It’ll go a long way.
Until next time.
Make More. Provide More. Be More.
Charlie Hutton
