By Todd Duncan

If we are not adding value to the people we live with every day, it is possible they will begin to look for value elsewhere. When this happens, it is the beginning of a family’s disintegration. If you are not adding more to the family account than you are removing, you need to reevaluate your priorities. Here are 5 strategies to help you add true value to your family.

Keep Your Promises

To add value to those you love, you must be reliable. Your integrity, character, and legacy are on the line whenever you make a commitment to your family. The rule is this: Appointments with your loved ones are non-negotiable commitments. Not to honor your commitments to your children is to teach them to lie. Keeping your promises is the most powerful form of leadership you can exercise as a parent. How do you measure up?

Invest The Time

Bond together by being together. With more families relying on dual incomes, it becomes increasingly difficult to pull this one off. However, at the heart of adding value is simply being together. Ask your spouse and your children how to spell love, and they will probably spell it T-I-M-E.

Be Consistent

You can’t lose weight overnight. You can’t get rich in a day. And you cannot make up for not adding value by dumping a whole bunch of it on the ones you love in one great gush of compassion. It won’t work. Your family will wonder what you are up to and be suspicious of your intentions. Add a little value every day, however, and you will never need to make up for lost ground—or lost time.

Don’t Keep Score

Adding value is not a game. It is the most important unilateral commitment you will ever make. If you give of yourself only partially, you will destroy one of the most important laws ever formulated: the law of reciprocity. Go 100 percent of the way, and you will be amazed at what you receive in return.

Demonstrate Your Love

Do not give your family half a loaf by just telling them that you love them. You must tell it and show it for maximum impact. Ask yourself this question: Do my actions and words both say “I love you”?

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