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.

Others we have spoke with have shared the exact opposite and how by working less and prioritizing their personal life, health, and hobbies outside of work they were able to improve their productivity.  And then there are those who say productivity is overrated.  What do you think?  We’ve shared some interesting perspective below.

Daryl Meyer | Professional Bridal Valet

I believe my work as a bridal valet enhances my life because it is work I love. I have, in the past, worked in other aspects of the service business which paid the bills, but did not feed my soul or need to have the satisfaction of really touching someone’s special day. My point is if you love what you do then the work/life balance is a little more seamless. Read more>>

Sarah SChossow | Colorist at IGK

Back in college I would go to class Monday-Wednesday and work Thursday-Sunday. I had zero work life balance but this paid off receiving an Associates and Bachelors Degree, which I guess you could say I have been applying. Especially now since we all have to work from home. You can imagine going from a full time colorist to now having to adapt to find creative ways to “work” from home. Read more>>

Christina Wexler | Owner, Bay38 Furniture

I used to think that physically showing up for work somehow gave it more value. My generation and ones before commuted to the workplace via trains, subways, cars, etc. Somehow the many hours spent out of the house meant, you worked really hard and earned it. When I started to have children it was a big adjustment to figure out how to still be successful and be home more frequently. Read more>>

Olga Saretsky | Designer & performance artist

“Balance between Life and work” this type of thoughts for long time was not even existed for me simply because I strongly and fully dedicated to do what I love, which is Creating Art. First it was a Dance, then design , then theater and circus , by the age of 40 all skills and knowledge united in one vision, gave me stability and confidence in my direction… then what? What next? I start notice that I don’t exercise enough. Read more>>

Valentino Longo | Head Bartender

Mens sana in corpore sano is a Latin phrase, usually translated as “a healthy mind in a healthy body”. And I truly believe in that. For me balance is being able to have time for myself and not thinking about work. Only in that way I’m able to work way more focused. I used not paying attention to that and thinking about work everyday all day, but then I got a hobby ( photography) thanks to photography I’m pushed to go outside and shoot photos or watch webinars or masterclasses. Read more>>