24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week. Junior investment bankers regularly work 80-90 hours a week. Many other high profile professions require the same level of commitment. Often those on the outside claim that working 80-90 hours a week is bad/wrong/terrible/silly/etc but we’ve spoken with so many folks who say working that much has been the best decision of their life – it allowed them to develop a deep and strong skill set far faster than would have been possible otherwise. In other words, by working 2x the hours, they were able to generate 5x or more the rewards. And depending on where you are in your career, investing heavily in your skills and competence can pay dividends for a long time.

Kristin Darga | Executive Coach | Speaker | Author | CEO | Entrepreneur

I’m a firm believer in axing the concept of “Work/Life” balance. If you think about it, a work/life balance indicates that work is separate from you, from the rest of your life – people are not linear. Life affects work, work affects life. The real concept has less to do with balance and more to do with success, happiness, and doing fulfilling work. The American culture is so focused on working long hours, working hard. Working hard and “busy” is worn like a badge of honor. Personally, not it’s more like … I am not busy and that’s the badge of honor. At times of my life, work and my business consumed my life, and when something happened in my business it felt like my life wasn’t ok. Work/LIfe balance fail. I was working too much and I burned out – start having problems with my health. The question is more like – do you have a fulfilling life? What’s missing? Do more of that and stop doing the things you don’t want to in order to win some non-existent badge of honor. Read more>>

Lindsey Morgan | Event Designer & Florist

Over time, my work-life balance has certainly become more of a significant priority for me. When I initially established Bello & Blue, for the first couple of years, I was just nose to the grindstone, working all the time, leaving little time and energy for myself, and my personal life. This period definitely helped me to get more established, and book the clients I needed to grow my brand, but as the business and I have grown, I have recognized that when it comes down to it, the more balanced I feel in all areas of my life, the better I can show up for my clients, my team, and my family and friends. To maintain this balance, I try to design my days and dedicate time to my meditation practice, exercise, and taking long walks in nature with my dog, Charlie, where I often catch up on calls with loved ones, or listen to audible books. At the end of each day, I set an end time when I log off so I can be present and cook dinner with my husband, and enjoy our time together in the evening. Taking an annual vacation or even just long weekends away to really unplug has been wonderful to maintain balance as well. Read more>>

Lindsay Ramirez | Accountant & Business Owner

What we are good at at what we are passionate about can exist in two different courts. I used to be so passionate about my career it is where I spent a majority of my time. I’ve really learned to leverage my time and delegate accordingly to have more time to spend on the things I love and am passionate about. Making time for those things can be hard so I prioritize my activities into 4 quadrants: 1)Important/Urgent; 2)Important/Not Urgent; 3)Urgent/Not Important; and 4) Not Urgent/Not Important. I try to delegate most of my quadrant 1 activities unless my time attention is absolutely necessary. I have been trying to spend more time in quadrant 2 focusing on doing things that push and grow me. Read more>>

Natalee Deaette | Access Opportunity Program Director

I love the work that I do, so I’ve always struggled to maintain a healthy work-life balance. I get so deep into my projects that I have a hard time stepping away. However, this past year I saw many friends and colleagues struggle with burnout – even those who, like me, loved their jobs. Paired with the anxieties that came with a sudden shift to working from home, I knew that I had to make a change. Without a daily commute to clear my head of the day’s projects, and without a separate office space to maintain clear boundaries between “work” and “home,” this past year could have thrown my balance even farther off. Knowing that, I made it a priority to be proactive about avoiding burnout so that I can continue to love my job for as long as possible. I’ve created daily routines for myself that replace my commute and keep me offline until my workday begins, and gets me offline when it ends. Although 2020 did bring many challenges, I am grateful for the time I have had to create this balance for myself, and I look forward to continuing my routines when we do return to a traditional office setting. Read more>>

Courtney Wilson | Content Creator & Maker

Something I never realized I would love so much about being a full-time content creator is the work-life “balance.” Basically, now I work even more than I ever did before, but to me it doesn’t feel like work. To me it feels like I get to do whatever I want when I want, but in all actuality I’m just working 10-12 hours a day. I never would’ve thought it would be like this, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Work can consist of hiking a mountain to shoot photos or ski all day and then take photos in the parking lot after. It can also be knitting 6 beanies a day while binge watching netflix. Balance? To me it feels like it. Read more>>

Melissa Kellogg Lueck | The Solopreneur’s Marketing Coach

When I started my business I was 34 years old, single, with no children, and had just moved to the Vail Valley to be closer to my boyfriend (eventual husband). Then, my balance was very well defined, I had an office (in our home) and he went to work at an office during the day. We kept similar schedules which made it easy to have personal time and work time separate. Once we got married and started a family the lines got blurry. I had to reset my priorities to keeping tiny humans alive and well-loved, while fulfilling my responsibilities to my clients and my work. I had to create new ways of working around my new priorities which mostly meant working in the early morning, during nap time, and sometimes in the evenings. For me that meant adjusting the types of clients I took on so I had more flexibility and making sure I wasn’t over-promising and under-delivering on my home and client responsibilities. During that time I decided on a standard that I stick to even today, that my intention is to be present where I am (as much as possible). That means setting boundaries around work time and family time. Read more>>

Triet Hoang | Communication Consultant

Honestly, when I had a 9-5 job, I focused more on work than having that balance in my life. I tend to put everything second to what I thought was my career at the time. It wasn’t till I met my wife that I was able to see beyond the work. She would encourage and planned family and friend events and was always looking for ways we can all spend time together. As I transitioned from my 9-5 to my master’s program at D.U. and now to my business, Mr. Good-All, I made sure balance is a priority. Of course, that still includes long hours and staying up late working on projects or learning new skills. I’ve learned to take 20-30 breaks between Zoom calls, project planning, and other work-related tasks to regroup. Thie whole journey is a marathon, and proper rest and balance are needed to enjoy your fruit of labor. Read more>>