Efficiency & practicality

It's very clear in the song that the child is being "efficient" with their life. They are working too hard and losing sight of their actual life. They plan on getting everything done fast but Joel claims it's impossible anyhow asking "Don't you know that only fools are satisfied?"

Hard work pays off and then out of it comes the material comfort. He says "take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while" implying material comforts such as a phone have consumed her due to the work.

Material comfort

Education

The child's young age suggest they are still in school working hard to "get ahead" in life. Furthering adulation started becoming more prominent in this time.