My teenage daughter now often stays up later than I do to do her homework to the very high standard she feels will meet the expectations of teachers and peers (despite parental entreaties to get some sleep). I’m all for enthusiastic learning and self-development (and I collude in some imbalancing by preferring her effort to its opposite). But I have a feeling that I’m one day going to have to ask her the question “On your deathbed, do you think you’ll be wishing you’d spent more time at the office?”

I’ve heard it a few times now, but it pulled me up short when I was first asked. (Haven’t spent much time at the office since then, come to think of it…!)