Having personal projects is hard. Especially when you have a family. Depending on the size of those personal projects, they may be unrealistic to achieve give

Having personal projects is hard. Especially when you have a family. Depending on the size of those personal projects, they may be unrealistic to achieve given certain time-frames. Starting a successful software company is hard. Building one that sustains you and grows 10% ARR is hard, building one that grows 5% MRR is much much harder. Starting a software company--unless you stumble upon it--is NOT a side project. The Longfellow poem resonated with me as well, but what I've come to realize is that the source of my happiness has shifted. Rather than focusing on the things that make ME happy, I prefer--and like--to focus on the things that make members of my family happy. This in turn, brings me (more) happiness. Being my own boss was something I wanted to focus on. I'm VERY fortunate to be able to live in the SF Bay Area and have a spouse that earns enough so I can work on running my own business. There is no way my company would be where it is now if it were a side project. It required full-time(+plus) dedication to get it up and running, and now rolling. I do look back and realize there are (literal) mountains I have not climbed or cars I have not bought, but if my kids can have happier and better lives, that's what I want more than anything else, and taking steps to that end bring me contentment.