'work-Life Balance' Will Keep You Mediocre

Paywall saved me from a read rage but even the first couple of lines made me wanna do things to the author :D

The rat race will keep you giving your youth away for bullshit

I choose to be mediocre and healthy (both mentally and physically).

As some (sorry, I forget who) said, even if you win the rat race the sad fact is that you're still a rat.

Remember, if you’re not the owner you’re trading your life experiences for somebody else profit. On salary there is no overtime and it’s a crap shoot waiting for an options payout.

I would want to see a 3-piece of this written by: 1) a successful 22 year old 2) once successful 22 year old now in this 60s 3) mediocre family man in his 60s

A clear example of how wrong this is, how many of you would like to have the life of the very successful (in the author terms) Elon Musk?

I certainly prefer my kids loving me and spending time with me than any billion dollars for expensive toys that I'll have to enjoy alone (or with gold-digger friends) because my own family hates me.

But this is a view that you only get on your late 30s or. 40s.

> During my first year working on Step Up Social, I averaged 3½ hours of sleep a night and had about 12½ hours every day to focus on business. The physical and mental toll was brutal: I gained 80 pounds, lived on Red Bull and struggled with anxiety.

That's not trading your work-life balance for success, that's just trading your life. Period. 80lbs extra weight (probably already overweight before gaining that if a typical person from the US) and a diet of Red Bull is a great way to take years off your life.

They go on to say they hire people for cleaning, grocery delivery, etc. Hire someone to do meal prep. Hire a trainer. Don't turn into a typical US citizen (> 40% of US adults are obese). Good diet and exercise also helps with anxiety. Addressing anxiety will help you be more successful. A trade off of maybe a few thousand a month (not even, but for someone who rides in helicopters instead of drives this is affordable) and no more than 6 hours a day (4-5 extra sleep, an hour of exercise), you could be successful and not obese and anxious.

Work-life balance keeps my life from becoming worse than mediocre, but I suppose that assessment depends on what you're wanting to get out of life.

> When you front-load success early, you buy the luxury of choice for the rest of your life.

This is just FIRE. The odds of it being successful are pretty low, but certainly not zero. It's more risk than I'd be willing to take on, but for those who are willing to try it out: my best wishes to you.

> I’m 22 and I’ve built two companies that together are valued at more than $20 million.

I'm not particularly interested in getting long-term life advice from a childless 22 year old. Especially when some of his advice is egregiously unhealthy, both physically and mentally:

> During my first year working on Step Up Social, I averaged 3½ hours of sleep a night and had about 12½ hours every day to focus on business. The physical and mental toll was brutal: I gained 80 pounds, lived on Red Bull and struggled with anxiety.

> Will this relationship survive if I skip this event? And if not, is this someone I really need in my life? The isolation was painful, and some friendships didn’t survive.

> Every commitment had to justify its place on my calendar, with social events, casual hangouts and even family gatherings weighed against business priorities. I constantly felt guilty about missing important moments with loved ones

Discussed 2 days ago (27 comments):

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44947100