When we’re building our careers we’re trained to think of success as a line toward more money and more prestige.

But focusing on those values alone can lead your family into a trap.

One where you lose more and more of your freedom.

And by freedom I mean time with your family.

Future parents in their early twenties are rarely told that some careers allow them to increasingly spend time with their kids as they advance in their work but most will do the opposite.

I first noticed this dilemma when I was 26.

I observed two kinds of dads in their 40s and 50s. Both were successful at work but some spent more and more time with their families and others were totally controlled by their work.

I decided to completely change careers toward one where I had no experience or education but one I could see would allow me to spend more time with my kids as I grew in success.

These pathways do exist but they are often in newer emerging industries.

Many of these work paths require risk and don’t offer immediate prestige but they allow you to pick what you value.

For those wanting to build a family team, few values matter more than having the freedom to spend time with your team when they need you most. And that time is coming as your team expands and as your kids get closer to young adulthood.

Jeremy

This entry is a part of Jeremy’s Journal, a newsletter Jeremy sends out every month to encourage you on your parenting journey. You can sign up to get them here.