09/02/2026
From the desk of our Founder & CEO, Josh Waite:
It was worth it!
Have you ever considered what makes something ‘worth it’? As I reflect on this question, it has become clear to me that we often couple those words with others like – the ‘time was worth it’ – the ‘effort was worth it’ – the ‘sacrifice was worth it’. What do all these phrases imply? Maybe several things – but for me they suggest a correlation between working through something challenging and then finding that the time invested often leads to a moment of satisfaction – a moment when I find myself thinking…
It was worth it!
But there’s a problem. Most of the time (speaking for myself), I don’t ‘feel’ like putting in the time and effort – I don’t ‘feel’ like making the sacrifice. Maybe you can relate.
And, because I believe this is a universal truth of the human experience, I return to a message I have shared for the last several years – a lesson I learned early in my career.
You don’t feel your way to an ‘action’ àyou ‘act’ your way to a feeling.
At the time I received this feedback, the individual delivering the message was challenging me to not make excuses for not doing the daily disciplines that were needed to grow my business. This was great advice, and exactly what I needed to hear at the time.
But why do I write about that advice 20+ years later? Very simple – I have found that it applies to many aspects of life – not just starting a business.
Physical fitness? Yes – how often do you not ‘feel’ like getting up early to workout?
Further education? Yes – how often do you not ‘feel’ like studying?
Relationships? You know it – how often do you not ‘feel’ like apologizing when you hurt someone?
If we wait until we ‘feel’ like doing something – we likely will never do it. Instead, we must choose to ‘act’ – and the feelings will follow.
Therefore, as Nikki and I returned from an extended weekend celebrating our 21stwedding anniversary, I again found myself revisiting the importance of our ‘actions’. While I wouldn’t wish it any other way, the truth is our 21 years haven’t been without our fair share of heartaches, bumps, and bruises. In full transparency, there have been times, even in these last 12 months, that our relationship didn’t ‘feel’ great at all.
So, what did we do in those challenging moments? We made the choice to ‘act’ differently.
As my good friend and counselor often says, “If nothing changes, nothing changes.” Essentially, you are not going to ‘feel’ better until you ‘act’ better. I look back today recognizing it was the ‘actions’we took and the habits we have formed that have allowed us to continue forward wiser and more in love than the day we said, “I do”.
Like anything, we get off track at times, but when our relationship ‘feels’ right, it can in large part be attributed to God’s grace and four specific ‘actions’:
1. Prioritize time to talk daily. Whether it happens sitting on the couch when we get home, or taking a walk around the neighborhood, we make time to talk.
2. Date each other weekly. I was introduced to my first leadership/life coach around the same time Nikki and I were married, and he advised me to have a date night on the calendar each week. At the time, I was working 60-70 hours per week, and having a weekly date night was critical to our staying connected early in our marriage. Twenty-one years later, there is no doubt that continuing to date each other has been foundational to maintaining that connection.
3. Read a book together annually. Usually, it is on a topic related to marriage or parenting. These books have not only provided great insight but also laid the foundation for meaningful conversations.
4. Get away, just the two of us,regularly. I am a believer in always having a vacation on the calendar; it gives you something to be looking forward to doing together.
I once read the quote, “What you appreciate, appreciates.” While far from perfect, over the years I have seen its wisdom and will continue to intentionally apply it to our marriage for as long as God gives me that opportunity.
Last week we celebrated 21-years since saying “I do” – I couldn’t be more grateful for the time we have been given and look forward to many more years of ‘acting’ our way to a feeling. We have had to invest time, put in the effort, and made some sacrifices – but you know what?
It was worth it!
intentional living call to action:
Whether it’s your marriage, your career, or your fitness, remember, we don’t feel our way to an action. We ‘act’ our way to a feeling. So, let’s start acting today. It will be worth it.
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Live Life Intentionally
Josh
