False Dichotomies and Broken Systems
Why most either/or scenarios we are confronted with are simply artificial constraints on our success.
The older I get, the more I realize how often I'm forced to choose between things I shouldn't have to choose between.
As a business owner:
Business first vs family first
Practice growth vs healthy work/life balance.
Focus on profit vs focus on purpose.
Premium services vs accessible services
As a lawyer:
Client service vs scalability
Expertise vs accessibility
Digital-first vs human-centric
Specialization vs diversification
The speed of AI vs the personalization of legal judgment.
As a father:
Growth in business vs being a present father
Accumulating wealth vs building closer relationships
Immediate opportunities vs long term vision
Short term wins vs long term accomplishments
While these examples come from my life experience, I think most people will face their own versions of these choices.
The contexts may change, but the underlying pattern remains the same.
Another thing I’ve learned: while some trade-offs do in fact exist, the vast majority are artificial constraints that are products of poorly designed systems.
My personal view: with the right systems, you can find solutions that don't force you to sacrifice but rather enable you to honour multiple priorities simultaneously.
Tomorrow, the moment I stopped solving the wrong problem and focused on building the right systems.