I was listening to an MFM episode with Dharmesh Shah where they were talking about hard work. Something they said stood out: in most jobs, not having work-life balance is looked down on, but when a pro athlete or musician spends hours every day practicing, it’s celebrated.
That made a lot of sense to me because I’ve always believed in that. I’ve found the idea of “work-life balance” kind of pressurising. Why is it wrong for me to work longer if I want to? Maybe it makes sense if you don’t enjoy your work, but that’s a separate issue. If you do enjoy it, then I don’t think there’s such a thing as “too much.” Anything great takes a lot of hours. So shouldn’t it be a good thing if you’re working longer?
On the flip side, I also see how it can get toxic if you’re doing it just for the sake of it or letting it affect your health. Health always comes first — both physical and mental. But apart from that, I don’t think you need to cut down your hours just to fit into some “balance” obligations like hobbies or social plans you don’t really care about.
TLDR just do what you actually want, and not let expectations make you feel guilty. The guilt would probably be worse for your mental health than the long hours themselves lol
Sindhu Mohan 