'Our most precious commodity is time': one dad on the importance of work-life balance

Balancing work demands with family home life is always a challenge. Career progression and raising little ones don't always have a symbiotic relationship. 

Brad Kearnes, Australian blogger and dad-of-two, recently took to Facebook to reassess how we measure success: 

His words are really making us rethink our lives. He recalls a conversation he had with two friends, one of whom had recently bought land and was planning on building a house.

His "face lit up" while talking about his plans; "you could tell he was really proud." 

However, they decided to redefine what it means to be successful.

According to Kearnes, being present for important milestones in your kids life is far more important than "something stupid like a presentation or a meeting."

"At first you say “it’s just for now” but the more and more it happens the more and more you realise it’s not for now. It’s going to happen for as long as you think like that. And you know you can’t ever get those back. But the money means more now that you have a family than it ever did before and it’s a really tough place." 

While talking to his friends, Kearnes realised that they all wanted "the exact same thing":

"We each said it in our own way but the message was loud and clear. We all just want happiness. We want time with our families. We want to be the ones that were there."

He says that you can always make more money, but you can't make up for lost time:

"The titles can’t make them look to us for guidance. The money won’t buy back the missed time. And the ones at home won’t remember your presentation. Only the fact that you weren't there." 

"Because long after the work runs out and you’re defeated they’ll be waiting for you at the door to pick you back up. And that’s what important. And when it’s all said and done it’s not the money we’ll be thinking back to as our fondest memories. It’s those days where they were there."

"Our most precious commodity is time," he finished. 

We definitely agree, love every moment!