[he11ow]

My perspective here is shaped by two things: One, my kids are a little older than yours (so I've seen a little further ahead), and the experience to have changed up my career not through promotions but through upskilling.

Prioritize spending time with your kids. You already know that you will never get that time back, but what you don't realize is how much you'll value in retrospect having spent that time.

Career advancement doesn't happen because you put in 20% more hours. It just doesn't. No one appreciates you more because of doing 'more of the same'. In each of the jobs I've had, I look back, and some of my former colleagues are doing pretty much the same thing for a little bit more money. Some get promoted, not everyone. MUCH WORSE is, in having spent all this time doing 'the job', windows have closed to do anything else.

Real leaps happen when you're able to be X but then suddenly also Y. This means upskilling. Finishing your regular tasks a little early means nothing; automating your tasks means a radically different state.

The great thing is, there is more time than you think. People think their careers are set by the time they hit their late 30s. But for many others, that's when things get exciting.

[hasoleju]

Thanks for your perspective! That sounds good to me and makes me feel optimistic.