Why we need to shatter the illusion of work life balance for entrepreneurs
0Why we need to shatter the illusion of work-life balance for entrepreneurs.
Work-life balance has always scared me. Aside from the fact that it isolates work and life as two opposing states of being, it’s the number one topic that’s always brought up at a table of entrepreneurs.
I do think it’s important to discuss these topics and since entrepreneurship can be a lonely profession at times, you have to vent to someone, but what bugs me is people rarely admit the reality: work-life balance, at least for entrepreneurs, is a pretense. It’s a bit like when a doctor asks you whether you’ve ever smoked and your immediate answer is no even though you did and still do occasionally with a pint of beer.
No entrepreneurs I know finish working when they leave the office. Sure, they might not be answering emails or sitting at their laptop, but I’ll bet you that they’re thinking about their business, they’re reading, they’re innovating and that’s not a bad thing. Being obsessed with your business usually means you’re onto something good.
I’m not suggesting that we should all be plugged into work at all times, allowing your mind space is fundamental to your health and happiness, but we shouldn’t be beating ourselves up every time our thoughts wander into the realm of work when we’re supposed to be having “downtime”. Work-life balance, I believe, should be defined and implemented by the individual, and it becomes a struggle only when we try and fail to live up to others’ expectations.