Ever avoided a promotion at work?

[Major Nikon]

4. The farther you move up the ladder, the more of your soul you sell to the company

It's up to you to decide if it's worth what they are giving you for it. For some, the answer is always yes, which is why they can usually get it on the cheap.

My advice is this. Rather than deciding if it's worth it based on what you think they might offer, figure out what you would need to make it worth it for you considering the worst case scenario of whatever extra time and grief it's going to entail. Go through the process and if you get selected, present them with your demand plus a little room to negotiate. If you can't come to an agreement you are free to decline their offer and it leaves open the door to reapply later on. If there's any discussion about it, just tell them at this point in your life you have to value your time off very highly. Most managers are going to understand because they know what the demands are and it also lets them know you place a high value on what they do. If they don't understand then they probably aren't someone you'd want to be a manger for anyway.

Personally I am quite happy with my present rung on the ladder until I retire. I've been encouraged numerous times by my superiors to put in for various promotions and my standard answer is, "you couldn't afford it."