I built up a 6-figure business but didn’t spend enough time with my kids. Now, I work 30% less and feel much happier.

I was grateful my income could support my family but didn’t feel fully present

Often, I’d be distracted on my phone, answering emails to clients or helping out one particular client with crisis communications. I felt like I was never fully present with my kids. There was always some work-related task to attend to in the background.

By 2021, I’d hit six figures, and in 2022, I had my best year yet. That same year, I got pregnant with my third child and took four months of maternity leave.

Babies have a way of making you slow down and smell the roses, and when I did, something shifted in me. I thought more about my life and what was important to me. I came to the conclusion that I didn’t want to look back and have regrets down the track, wishing that I’d spent more time with my kids rather than prioritizing money.

When I went back to work, I decided to work only during school and daycare hours and spend as much quality time with my three children as possible. I cut back to about 27 hours over four days a week, which meant sacrificing a large portion of my income — probably about 30%.

Obviously, with the loss of income, we had to make sacrifices elsewhere. Nowadays, there are fewer nice-to-haves, but we have more than enough of the essentials, and plenty of what matters most — time together.

They say that time is the most valuable commodity, and I couldn’t agree more. It’s up to you how you spend it, but once you’ve used it, you can never get it back. For me, the trade-off of working less to have more time with my children and a better work-life balance was totally worth it. I feel happier than ever, knowing that I’m making memories with my kids, rather than more money in the bank.