Slower to Advance in Sims 3 Careers!

It seems like it takes much longer to advance in any given career in the Sims 3. Many sims have a lifetime wish to reach a top-level in a career. But if you don’t start them at an early age and become very dedicated to advancing, they might not reach the top level in a lifetime. Ideally I’d want them to reach the top, retire, and have some time to enjoy retired life before kicking the bucket. I know that the mood they have when going to work is very important, so I make sure the need bars are as high as possible before they leave. You also try to learn the appropriate skills and maintain relationships, as necessary. I thought the ‘Take it Easy’ work option would help performance by improving their mood, but the ‘Work Hard’ option must be better for performance, if you can afford to be stressed out. As long as you go to work happy, the stress out moodlet won’t have much of an effect on your mood. With all the dedication to work, how would a couple find time to start a family? I prefer to start a sim working on a particular lifetime wish or goal at a young age. But with the “Story Progression” option, it can be hard to find kids or teens in the neighborhood. Are you expected to just create a new family each time you want to switch families?  The Sims is a time management game — how do you manage your time?