"Engineering Challenge": Finding Time Between Diapers and Development
āI often post about my wins with Claude Code or the progress on my book project, but thereās one part of the equation I havenāt touched on yet: Time. āIām lucky enough to be able to build a little during my work hours, but my primary focus is still being a Finance Manager. The real work happens when the house is finally quiet. āBut here is the reality: I have a 3-year-old and a 9-month-old. āIf youāve been there, you know. My "second shift" starts after they are tucked in, but itās always a gamble. Especially with a 9-month-oldāyou never really know how the night is going to go or how many times youāll be woken up. āThe Internal Conflict: Iām a natural "A-person." I love waking up early and feeling fresh. But to get anything done on my private projects, I often have to push late into the night. āIām constantly trying to balance three things that all feel non-negotiable: āFamily Time: This is my fuel. I refuse to sacrifice being present with my kids. āSleep: As an early riser, I need sleep to function as a Finance Manager and a dad. āDevelopment: I have a deep drive to learn, build, and move my projects forward. āThe truth? Most days, it feels like I can only pick two. āIf I work late on a website or an automation, Iām a zombie the next morning. If I go to bed early to be a "good dad" at 6:00 AM, my projects stand still, which frustrates me. Itās a constant puzzle of trying to be "efficiently lazy" with the few hours I actually have. āI donāt have a "5-step master plan" for this. Iām just navigating it one night at a timeāsometimes winning, sometimes just trying to stay awake during a meeting. āHow do you guys balance this? For those of you with young kids, demanding jobs, and big goalsāhow do you find the space to create without burning out or missing the "golden years" with your family? āIām curious to hear how you prioritize when everything feels equally important. š