My Productivity Mentor, Life Coach, And Therapist Is 4 Years Old

14 May 2026 #productivity #wellness

“Godfaaather,” he called out from his balcony.

I’m my best friend’s oldest son’s godfather. Tradition says if anything happens to my best friend, God forbid, I become his son’s paternal figure. I hope I don’t have to play that role ever.

The notebooks…

I’m visiting before the school year starts. I’m bringing my godson some hero-themed notebooks—he adores superheroes. The first two pages of every notebook are full of superhero stickers.

As soon as he opened them, he set aside a couple of notebooks for his little brother and started to use the stickers on his own. His dad hid the notebooks on a shelf. Otherwise, they’d lose every sticker and blank page before school started.

Lesson: What’s the point of having something but to share it?

The heroes’ competition…

I had started small talk with my best friend when my godson pulled a huge receptacle full of toys out of his bedroom.

He started to show me his collection. Every action figure is there. Batman, Wolverine, all the Avengers, Goku and his friends… You name it!

Then the action figure parade became a racing competition. The couch was an imaginary obstacle course. The last hero reaching the bottom was suspended. Gravity chose the winner. But the rules kept changing to bring back suspended characters. For some reason, Freeza from Dragon Ball Z was always suspended even before starting.

As the game went by, I tried to keep the small talk with my best friend. But when my godson noticed I wasn’t playing my role as the referee, he tapped my cheek, called my name, and pulled me back into the game. And when the phone rang and he was told, “It’s grandad. Are you going to say hi?,” he simply said, “I’m playing with my godfather.”

He was still learning to read and write, but he was already a productivity expert.

Lesson: Do one thing at a time and give it your full attention.

The innocent gaze…

After countless rounds and suspensions, the game stopped for a second.

My godson noticed my Viking-styled bun. He looked at my hair from one side and the other. I expected an innocent, but uncomfortable question—one only kids dare to ask. But after the pause, the game continued. No questions, no judgment.

Lesson: Recognize others’ differences and keep playing without judgment.

The semaphore…

Once my godson had dinner and a shower, the heroes’ game became the semaphore game.

Green allowed you to move. Yellow made you slower. Red froze you. The couch wasn’t an obstacle platform anymore. It was the finish line for a race with his little brother.

I didn’t check my phone while I was there. Playing, laughing, and bending the rules of physics with a toy semaphore lifted my energy. I felt like I was six again.

More recently, on my birthday, he sent me a WhatsApp voice note. He wished me lots of presents. It was the first birthday I celebrated after my mom passed away. He didn’t need motivational quotes or a psychology degree to cheer me up. He did it in a few seconds with only a few words.

Lesson: Find someone who lifts you up…or borrow my best friend’s son. Just be aware his schedule might be packed. He’s a productivity mentor, life coach, and therapist—and he’s only four years old.