5am — Airport check-in.
8am — board review.
12pm — client lunch.
6pm — team-building dinner.
9pm — global strategy call.

Or—

5am — Deep work and gym.
8am — coaching session.
12pm — lunch with wife.
6pm — school pick-ups.
9pm — reading and reflection.

Both are success.
Only one fits me.

A few months ago, I was already deliberating the two paths—sketching a second path for coaching, four years out. Then the GM conversation came.

At a round table, over half-empty wine glasses, an exective leaned in and whispered:
“You really don’t want to become a GM?”

It wasn’t the first time I was approached, and I understood the weight of the question, even in such a casual tone. GM meant prestige. Authority. A bigger paycheck. The thrill of the title.
In that moment, it was tempting to say yes. But deep in my heart, I knew it also meant trading more time, health, and focus—the currency I valued most.

That night, I told my wife.
At the kitchen table, we ran it through my career decision scorecard—
Weighing prestige and financial reward against fulfillment, future security against the moments we’d lose forever.
Prestige: 10 vs 3.
Fulfillment: 3 vs 10.
Prestige buys applause; fulfillment buys joy—and joy lasts longer.

Her question cut through the noise:
“If you take it, is it the life you want?”

The “time window” became impossible to ignore—school outings, family trips, personal health, chasing passion. By the time I “made it,” those moments would be gone. And none of them are reversible.

One month later, I handed in my resignation—four years earlier than planned.

My team leader sighed, “It’s a pity. You could become a GM.”
I smiled, thanked him, and silently thanked myself for choosing me.

The GM role isn’t wrong. For some, it’s exactly right.
However,

the right path for career isn’t always the right path for life.

For me, the right path was clear: reclaim my mornings, own my calendar, and build something I love.

Reflection:
Which path are you walking—and how would you score it?

5am — Deep work and gym. Not airport.
That’s my path, my success.