Work/life balance
Sometimes in life, we try too hard for too long. It's important to pay attention to our work life balance
Sometimes in life, we try too hard for too long.
Update: I’ve posted a follow-up article, listing some steps that I’ve taken to improve the balance in my life:
Sebastien Dubois
During the last few years, I’ve been working too hard. I’ve now grown (somehow) enough to admit it.
I pushed harder and harder to get above and beyond, however I could, literally for years. But working hard is never enough; there’s always one more thing to do, one more project to finish, one more idea to develop. It’s endless and there’s only so much one can do.
Working smart makes much more sense, but it’s not only that. It’s also a question of equilibrium. To make wise decisions and work at your best for long periods of time, there’s a balance to keep between work and private life. I did my best to keep that balance over the years, but simply neglected other important aspect of life, which are actually also part of the equilibrium formula: sleep, leisure, well-being and nutrition.
I was so focused on being more productive and to move my ideas & projects forward that I often skipped lunch, ate quickly, ignored my most basic needs, worked at night until 2–4AM instead of going to sleep and skipped exercise more often than not.
I reached a point where I just felt too overwhelmed, tired as hell and really had to stop and start thinking.
In the next post, I’ll explain the steps I’ve gradually taken to recharge my batteries and get ready for my next ten productive years! :)
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Sébastien Dubois
Sébastien Dubois
Sébastien Dubois
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Sébastien Dubois
About Sébastien
I'm Sébastien Dubois, and I'm on a mission to help knowledge workers escape information overload. After 20+ years in IT and seeing too many brilliant minds drowning in digital chaos, I've decided to help people build systems that actually work. Through the Knowii Community, my courses, products & services and my Website/Newsletter, I share practical and battle-tested systems.
I write about Knowledge Work, Personal Knowledge Management, Note-taking, Lifelong Learning, Personal Organization, Productivity, and more. I also craft lovely digital products and tools.
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