Jackson said his first real words yesterday. I was giving him a bath and Candy, our ballerina like cat, sauntered into the bathroom. Jackson looked at her, pointed and said ‘at!’.

Whoa. I was dumbstruck.

That simple action reminded me that he’s a person, not just a ‘baby’, and my duties as a father are very important and very real. I know it’s important that I spend real time with him – time where I’m not distracted by work or other things.

I, like many of you, absolutely love what I do at work. Running Carsonified is tremendously fun, challenging and exciting. Often, without even knowing it, my mind will wander back to what’s happening at work. However, I’ll be damned if I’m one of those work-a-holic dads who is always staring at their iPhone, answering emails or talking about work.

I believe that the key must be putting the needs of your family before your own – becoming more selfless.

So how do you do this? How can you practice selflessness on a daily basis? Any dads out there have experience in this area that want to share some words of wisdom? What’s the best way to make sure you’re giving your family the time they deserve and yet be passionate about your work?