Brett Atlas - Three Things Matter Most

An Addicus Nonfiction Book

Copyright 2021 by Brett Atlas. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information, write Addicus Books, Inc., P.O. Box 45327, Omaha, Nebraska 68145.

ISBN: 978-1-950091-54-6

Typography and cover by Jack Kusler

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Atlas, Brett, 1973author.

Title: Three things matter most : linking time, relationships, and money / Brett Atlas.

Description: Omaha, Nebraska : Addicus Books, [2021] | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2021019383 | ISBN 9781950091546 (trade paperback)

Subjects: LCSH: Time management. | Interpersonal relations. | Finance, Personal. | Conduct of life. | Success. | Happiness.

Classification: LCC BF637.T5 A85 2021 | DDC 640/.43dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021019383

Addicus Books, Inc.

P.O. Box 45327

Omaha, Nebraska 68145

AddicusBooks.com

Printed in the United States of America

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To the memory of my dad,

whom I miss every day.

In honor of my mom,

who was always proud of me,

whether I deserved it or not.

For my wife, Stacey, my North Star.

And to our three children:

Zach, Noah, and Marley.

You were in my mind every word I typed.

T he challenge with providing thanks and acknowledgement is that by recognizing some individuals, you inadvertently exclude others. There are more people deserving of my appreciation than I have room for in these pages. Regardless, I will attempt to target my gratitude to those directly or indirectly responsible for this book. If you dont see your name below, it doesnt mean I dont love you.

To Stacey, Zach, Noah, and Marley for giving my life its true joy and purpose. Each of you is a gift, and I couldnt have written this book without the many ways you continue to inspire me.

To Mom and Dad not only for giving me your love and your time but for instilling in me the core values I treasure most. I was incredibly lucky to have you as my parents.

To my brother, James, and my sister, Samantha, for always making me feel like were all still home together, even though were hundreds of miles apart.

To Carl and Zoe for your unconditional love and support. I would not be the person I am today without your guidance, influence, and generosity. Together with Carin (who also contributed some wonderful edits), Andrew, Rachel, and Ryan, youve blurred out the word in-law.

To my publisher, Rod Colvin of Addicus Books. You believed in this book from day one and were a true partner in the process. Nobody else would have been as emotionally invested or as supportive as you have been. Thanks to my editor, Susan Adams, for a master class in editing. I will never be able to read a book the same way again without considering how much impact the editor likely had on the finished product. Thanks also to Jack Kusler for the design, layout, and spirit of partnership.

To Scott Kroeger not only for being an invaluable part of my life but for whipping the original manuscript into shape. Your insights and willingness to call me out made this a much stronger and more authentic read.

To my friends and fellow authors Brian Haara, Fred Minnick, David Jennings, and Harlan Cohen, thank you for all the time, encouragement, suggestions, and feedback. You helped me get this across the finish line.

To Rich Friedman, my second brother, thank you for always being there no matter the miles between us. Youve been on this journey with me since we were kids and your input helped me find the right home for the manuscript.

To Andy Ruback, one of my first friends in Omaha and one of the people who knows me best. You have helped me to make sense of the wild swings of life and provided valuable feedback on my writing.

To my Forum Group: Andy Ruback, Brian Nogg, Jason Epstein, Jeffrey Schrager, Jim Glazer, Jonathan Rockman, Marc Scheer, and Scott Meyerson. Thank you for helping me better understand myself over the years and for always being my personal board of directors. I wouldnt have been able to clarify and articulate several of these ideas without your counsel.

O ne day, a giant ships engine failed. The ships owner brought in one mechanic after another, but none of them could locate the problem. One of the mechanics suggested the name of an old man who had been fixing ships his entire life. The ships owner located the old man and brought him in to take a look at the broken engine.

The old man arrived with a large bag of tools and immediately set to work. He inspected the engine carefully, looking it over from top to bottom. The ships owner watched the old man carefully, hoping he would find the answer.

After a little while, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something on the engine, and it immediately lurched to life. The engine was fixed!

A week later, the ships owner received a bill from the old man for $10,000.

What?! the owner exclaimed, He hardly did anything! The ships owner sent the old man a note saying, Please send me an itemized bill for the engine repair. In response, he received a bill from the old man, which read:

Tapping with a hammer..... $2.00

Knowing where to tap ....... $9,998.00

All the knowledge and skills in the world are not enough without the wisdom to implement them. When it comes to the three things that matter most, knowing where to tap is the secret to a life of happiness and meaning. Im going to teach you how.

Three Is a Magic Number.

S CHOOLHOUSE R OCK!,

S ATURDAY MORNING TELEVISION SERIES

This book began as a collection of Post-it notes, journal entries, and e-mails. I wanted to develop a repository of generational wisdom for my kids to have. I wanted them to be able to read it at different stages in their lives. I wanted them to have the benefit of all I had learned, even if I was no longer around to share it with them. Ive read hundreds of books over the years in my search for lifes answers. What Ive discovered is three really big ideas, common to all of us, yet ignored by so many. As the old man who fixed the ship demonstrated, experience and wisdom are valuable commodities. They come from a desire to learn and improve ourselves. They come from making our time here worthwhile. I hope to be able to show you areas in your life where you can tap your hammer.

I realize it may seem a bit unusual to begin a book with the authors biographical information. However, I am sharing such information about myself because I believe it will provide better context for the points I make throughout the book. If you know a little bit about me, then youll see where the ideas came from and why it was so important for me to share them.

I was born in Chicago in 1973 and grew up in the northern suburbs as the middle one of three kids. I have an older brother, James, and a younger sister, Samantha. Our parents were divorced when I was eight years old. We continued living with our mom, but our dad was never far away. When I was eleven, he married a woman with two children of her own. He and my stepmother were actively involved in raising us. They often included my mom in dinners, events, and the occasional vacation. As a result, we children often had three parents around. My mom remained single until she remarried in 2003, which was the same year I moved to Omaha. I was thirty at the time and my wife, Stacey, was pregnant with the first of our three kids. Nebraska is the third state Ive lived in. Coincidence perhaps, but it seems like a lot of threes to me.