Wow how do you have time for sleep, exercise, bootstrap start up, learn another language, etc. as a single dad? Any suggestions on life organization? Do you have a team of nannies/house help?
I have lots of help. I write during work hours (so kids are at school). At work I delegate as much as possible to a team of great people; hiring a good team has been critical. I sometimes hire a sitter to support some exercise time, and other times I bring my kids with me to a running track. I hire housecleaners to clean regularly to help me keep my home nice and organized. I don't currently have a personal assistant, but in the past I did and that was helpful for getting "life things" done. My kids and I have gotten used to a culture where we alternate between independent time (so I can, say, read a textbook for an hour while they play) and together time. I've found that my kids enjoy independent time when they know they will regularly have focused attention from me, so I try to give them that (reliable focused attention, ideally 1:1). I do have less time to work than I did before kids, so I spend a portion of my energy planning ahead or delegating.
Reading your comments, I think you have super human level of energy. Not to take anything away from your experience, but that isn't much help to the OP who is likely much lower energy. I observe the same in myself. Each year that I age up, the gap in energy between myself and peers grows larger. They keep getting fatter, slower, lazier, less innovative/intelligent. Me: Yes, a bit, but far slower than others around me. The last five years has been striking -- the distance. More and more people ask me: "How do you do it?" Or "When will you slow down?". For years, I thought something was wrong with me and my brain. Now, I understand the gap better. To be clear: This does not mean that I am _absolutely_ smarter than my peers (or a better worker!) -- I am only talking about "energy levels". Ask yourself: How does Elon Musk work 80/90/100 hours per week in his early 50s? Probably a lot cocaine and caffeine. Plus, he has super human level of energy. When I listen to Cal Newport's style of working, I think: "Oh, hey, that's me!" Of course, I'm not a university professor and successful author of many best sellers. But the energy level is similar.
tylerneylon|3 years ago
throwaway2037|3 years ago
mtelgon|3 years ago