Prioritizing Life Over the Laptop: A Lesson in Work-Life Balance

You cannot choose a laptop over people, or work over life. I know two people who did: one died, and the other was hospitalized. The former was my late husband, and the latter was me. He lived by the laptop and died by the laptop. I pretended to be Xena the Warrior Princess for about two years and tried my best to follow in his footsteps, only to end up hospitalized for breathlessness. It is simply not worth it. 

The Monday-through-Friday grind is important—I am not saying it isn't. It gives us a comfortable lifestyle, fills our brains with knowledge, and makes us feel important for those few hours. However, if you do not cut off beyond that time, you are missing out on this big, beautiful world created for us. This world is filled with hot chocolate, ice cream, plants, wonderful people, and an endless list of joys. 

Living is the part that truly matters. You must live. Your work will replace you in less than a week after you pass away; I closely witnessed this with my husband, who was a very senior, top-of-the-pyramid management consultant. However, you cannot be replaced at home. You are somebody’s something, so give that time and presence to the people who value you. Your organization, on the other hand, values you only as long as you bring value to the table in terms of deliverables. The day your performance drops, you will be dropped, or at least threatened with it. Conversely, if you slip up at home, you will still have an entire army that might be annoyed with you for half an hour, but will then bring you all your favorite food and drinks anyway. 

Choose wisely. Choose balance and attain inner peace like the Buddha. Remember to choose human beings, not laptops. Human beings will love you; laptops will only give you migraines and reading glasses.