I’m the same way… I’ll get up ridiculously early to get stuff done but I do my best to avoid working late so I can get home to my family. If it’s that important/urgent in can wait until after 8/8:30pm when the kids are in bed.
I think it was Jason Calacanis a few years ago who said “Fire the workaholics” - I couldn’t agree more. They’re usually the thrashers, the ones who look busy but don’t accomplish much. I think you’ll find the people who work sane hours, and the hours that work for them deliver far more value in the long term.
My fondest memories by far growing up were at our dinner table as a family. Each of us in “our” seats. I cannot state enough how important that is to me to make happen with my family. Thanks Bryce. And Thanks Sheryl.
My alarm goes off every morning at 5am.
I’m usually out the door and on my way to the train station by 6am. I do this for one primary reason- I want to get home for dinner with my kids. It’s a conscious decision to give up breakfast with them, but with my schedule, being present for both just isn’t an option.
Throughout the course of my career I’ve seen many friends and colleagues unwilling or unable to make a schedule like this work. And I’ve seen the toll it takes on their marriages and their kids.
We have a funny technology culture. For all of the connectivity and productivity gains we’ve achieved we still put an inordinate amount of focus on “time in office” as a metric. As much as I admire Sheryl Sandberg for speaking out in this video, it says something about our culture that it takes becoming a billionaire to get comfortable with a decision to publicly prioritize family over face time.
I’m no billionaire, and you probably aren’t either. I’d hope that none of us waits to become one to put the impact we can have with our families on par with the impact we can have at the office.
(via kirklove)
