In last week’s essay, Work-Life Balance Is the Wrong Question, I wrote about spending plenty of time with my boys while having almost nothing left to give them.
That’s what our conversations about work-life balance often miss.
Time is only the container. Capacity determines which version of us shows up inside it.
Low capacity does not excuse the moments when we lose our patience or bring stress home. But it makes repair essential.
In this week’s clip, Larry Hagner describes telling a painful fatherhood story onstage while his ten-year-old son sat in the audience.
His son walked onto the stage and said: “I forgive you.”
Our children do not need us to be perfect, but they do need us to work on ourselves.
Check out Larry’s full Ambitious Dads Podcast interview here.
Work / Leadership:
Where am I evaluating a commitment only by whether it fits on my calendar?
Before your next commitment, ask: What will this cost my nervous system, and who will receive the bill afterward? Choose one responsibility to shorten or renegotiate, based on its capacity cost.
Fatherhood:
When in the day does my family predictably get the lowest-capacity version of me?
Choose one small intervention before that moment: ten quiet minutes, a walk around the block, five slow breaths, or putting your phone somewhere you cannot reach it.
You may already be making time for your family while still arriving inside that time distracted, depleted, or carrying half your workday in your head.
That does not mean you need another productivity system.
It may mean you need to understand what drains your capacity, where Default Dad takes over, and how to lead as the same man in every room.
Book a free Dad Clarity Call with me here and we’ll explore these patterns and what kind of support could help.
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.