My kids are the most tangibly important thing to me. In my first post my central theme was the importance of a man’s mission, so you might wonder how well that can correlate with being a dedicated father. The answer is that your mission is even more important to your kids than it is to you.
As a father you constantly weigh your actions against the effect they will have on your children. That weight gives every decision the ability to cause more fear and doubt than it would otherwise. Mostly we assign that weight to the big decisions and points in our life that we would consider pivotal. That weight, however, applies to every decision you make.
It starts before you even wake up in the morning. When did you set your alarm for? Did you set an alarm? Did you get right up out of bed, or did you lay there for another ten minutes, shit make it fifteen, so hard to get out of bed ya know? Are you going to work out today? Prepare something for lunch or grab fast food? Leave for work early enough to account for unknown traffic problems, or be running in to make it on time? Are you going to be the best at what you do, or just get by? And so it goes.
We worry so much about disciplining our children, we forget that the discipline that is really going to matter to them is how well we discipline ourselves. Do as I say, not as I do is total bullshit and they know it. Our children live and die by the example we set for them. That’s where your mission comes in.
When you live your mission you are going to be setting great examples by default. When you’re in the hunt you value your time and make the most of it. You know that every moment wasted is detracting from your mission. Your leisure time is more cherished because it feels earned.
The one downfall of pursuit of the mission when you’re a father is that it can be easy to lose perspective. Remember that they are what its for. From the moment that cord is cut everything has a different and deeper meaning. So include them; your kids are going to be fascinated by you for far longer than they’ll admit to. That captive audience wants to learn from you. You can teach them a lot more than their colors and shapes.
The Hunt 
Great point about exemplified discipline. My own daughter is only three months but I can already tell how much she observes the actions of me and my wife. Kids are perceptive and they learn from your example.
It’s amazing once you start recognizing your own behaviors replicated by them. From facial expressions to how they handle conflict, they’re always learning from us.