Growing your business when you have kids

It’s really tough when the kids are younger, especially when they’re not sleeping through the night, and when they’re toddlers and you have to keep an eye on them constantly.

It gets easier!

Ours are now all in school and it’s definitely easier. They’re aged 5, 7, and 9 to give you context.

My working week is to get up at 6:30am for that crazy morning routine then leave at 8:30am to drop them to school. I’m back home and working from 9am till 2pm Monday to Thursday.

Friday my wife is off work so we might run chores or go for brunch etc. Some work might get done when she collects the kids.

I down tools just after 2pm to collect them from school. Then it’s the mayhem of homework, play, dinner, play, reading, bed at 6:30pm and 7:30pm depending on ages.

Bit of time with my wife and/or fitness, then back for an evening shift 9pm till midnight (ideally 11pm but I always drag it out for some reason).

I can work 9pm till midnight pretty much every evening except Friday or Saturday.

So I’ve access to a lot of hours for work, and spend a lot of time with my kids and wife.

Reclaiming 3 hours a day by not having to commute all goes into more time with the kids.

The freedom I have is because I now already work for myself and can construct the lifestyle to suit me.

Location independence doesn’t mean beaches and laptops for me. It means not commuting.

I’m earning less than some contracts I’ve had in the past where I had to go on client sites.

How I earn it is a world apart.

In my mind, I’ve already won.

I could work Friday and maybe grow my business faster, but why?

I refuse to spend less time with my kids now so I can spend more time with them later. That truly would be a death-bed regret.

Your health and family are precious. Be careful not to lose them now because you’re focused on something in the future.

I’m in this business game for the long haul anyway, and am determined to enjoy the journey.

I am the leader of my own tribe. I have to keep a roof over our heads first and foremost, even if that means flipping burgers.

The most important job in my life is to be a good father.

And that involves being the man I want my sons to grow up to be.

I don’t want my kids self-worth being measured by what phone they have or car they drive, or even how much they earn.

I don’t want them thinking “failure” is bad, or to have their natural curiosity and courage crushed by the school system and cubicle life.

I have to smash all the limiting beliefs society puts on us, otherwise I leave it up to my kids to do it themselves.

Quite a responsibility eh?