"Purpose" is exactly right. I've been meaning to start a business for years, but I kept getting sucked into other people's projects because they were working on

"Purpose" is exactly right. I've been meaning to start a business for years, but I kept getting sucked into other people's projects because they were working on great stuff. Being a parent has really forced me to extend my planning horizon, get organized, figure out what's important (for my family as well as myself) and devote myself to it. When my daughter was born, I took 8 months off from my day job, intending to divide my time between taking care of the baby and banging out a prototype. I expected that I'd be able to work while the baby was asleep. That was true, but what I didn't expect was that my free time would come in very short intervals. I found I couldn't maintain focus long enough to create something new. Instead, I switched strategies and started doing contract work. That was better; with well-defined tasks, I could make real progress in 15 or 20 minutes, be interrupted and then efficiently pickup where I left off. That was a setback, no doubt, but it hasn't derailed me the way it once would have. Not making progress on my prototype delays my startup plans, but it does put me in a better financial position to carry them out. My purpose is clear and concrete. It's not some abstract ambition like making "a lot" of money, gaining the admiration of my peers, or "being a success." It's to be able to give my family what they need, as completely as possible. So being a parent has forced me to take a slower, more deliberate path, but it's also given me the determination required to walk it.