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.

Launi Brockett | Realtor, Animal Advocate, Artist

When I started my career – the focus was 24-7 on work. Everything I did revolved around work and insuring I put forth 110%. The pressure I put on myself affected my ability to have a life outside of my job and my health. When I chose to get back into real estate after a hiatus – my priority was to provide a balance between my passions and my career. I’ve blend doing all the things I love – advocating for people and animals while giving back. It’s no longer “work” because I’m following my heart and utilizing my skills with the main goal of helping others. Read more>>

Lexi Villa | Photographer & Soon To Be Respiratory Therapist

I’ve always struggled with work life balance, and still think I’m getting the hang of it. Not many people know this, but I’ve been going to school for Respiratory Therapy since April of 2020 and I am about to graduate Feb 02 of 2022. It’s been so difficult balancing my photography, school, and my full time job! I’m very grateful I don’t have any kids depending on me or a partner who needs me around. Nothing wrong with having either of those but I know I would not be able to handle it! It’s been a crazy time, but I’ve found a schedule that works for me. Read more>>

Lauren Marks | Ceramic Artist

My ideas about work life balance have changed drastically over the last several years as I have come to some important realizations. I used to work full-time for non-profit nature organizations and I was lucky to have good supervisors that really taught me to self advocate for strict definition between work and life. And I had to be- for positions that were by nature set up to be extremely exploitative, I gave each work day at least 8 solid hours of my best and most productive self, only to return home as a husk of a human, unable to fulfill other duties or enjoyabilities. Even with strict boundaries, balance was not possible there for me, so I left. Read more>>

Betty Boiron | Founder of Mombrite.com

Last year, two major things happened. The first was that we decided to homeschool our kids, which means that I could no longer work during the day. The other was that my blog’s traffic took off, and it has been on a rise since then. I made a conscious decision to pour tons of time and effort into my blog last year to ride the momentum and explore different ways to monetize my blog. The most time-consuming task was to create digital printables to sell on Etsy and my own Shopify store, which I have never done before. I was also publishing at least one blog post a day (whereas typically bloggers post 2-3 times a week) so that I could increase the traffic and earn more ads revenues. Read more>>

Julie Running | Furniture, Plant and Flower nerd.

I think about work life balance a lot. It was something that in my previous job, managers would talk about and yet, never really made it important. There were times I would have scheduled days off and be asked to come in because they needed me to take care of something. I amassed a tremendous amount of vacation time over 25 years of service and could never use it all. We were always so busy taking off felt wrong, made me feel guilty. When my home life was awful, being that busy at work was my hiding place. Once I changed my personal life and started actually living, I didn’t want to be working 50 – 60 hours a week any longer. Read more>>

Tim Swanson | Wilderness Survival Skills Instructor

Some folks find lots of joy when they work a job inside, on a computer, at a desk with a comfy chair. I am almost jealous of those folks as I find sitting at a computer to be the hardest thing for me to do! I want to be out in the woods, surrounded by the trees, bird songs, and tracking animals. It sounds cliché, but my work IS my life. The more I work, the more I live my passions and interests. The more I live my passions and interests, the more I get to offer in my business. Starting up Owl Eyes Wilderness Survival was what I felt like I was meant to do. I forage for wild edibles, hunt, fish, head out into the mountains for survival trips, carve spoons from wood, and make my own buckskin clothing. Read more>>

Cortni Potapowicz | Hippie in a Suit/Business Owner/Songwriter/Aerialist/Lover of Nature

Overtime, I have learned that being busy does not mean you are going to have that much more success. Working smarter rather than harder is the true key for balance. Burn out is absolutely a REAL thing. Balance is important to stay focused. I am HUGE believer in mind, body, spirit balance. They all have to be taken care of equally. If you do not feed your soul and rest your mind. You risk operating in “survival mode.” Believe me when I tell you down time gave me anxiety. I did not know what to do with extra time. Now, it is crucial that I have it and I protect it like a precious gemstone. Smarter not harder has allowed me to enjoy the freedom that my free spirit longs for. I am much happier and healthier. Read more>>

Sarah Carper | Massage Therapist

A little over a year ago I decided to do something crazy. After fifteen years working in the textile industry, I did a complete 180 and decided to change career paths. I was starting to get burnt out working a 40hr/5 day a week schedule. I felt like I had very little energy, time, and inspiration in my personal life and thought, “Is it supposed to feel this way?” My view on work/life balance was starting to shift. I was wanting to spend more personal time out camping and connecting with nature, and experiencing a full “reset” from a technology filled life (not always something that can be achieved within a standard weekend .) I was also wanting the time I did spend working to have more purposeful meaning. Read more>>

Amanda Ross-Pye | Nail Stylist & recycled fashion curator

I have been self employed for 11 years and my balance has been an ongoing process. Work consumed most of my life for a long time. It’s really hard to set healthy boundaries because the world says you should hustle hard and you should be team no sleep, I found out I was really drained with that type of lifestyle. That is how the first 4 years of my career went. 6 days a week 12 hr days, I had time for nothing. No family, vacations, self care ….. nothing. Not even time to really enjoy my son’s milestones, but luckily I was able to bring him to work with me. This still wasn’t satisfying for me. Read more>>

Lisa Polacheck | Arizona Branch artist

When I had a brand-new bachelor’s degree and a lot to prove, I felt honored to let my career dictate my life. After 20 years — fulfilling, then depleting — I dropped out and moved to New Mexico to study sustainable building and work for an adobe construction company. During that reset, I recognized that I could architect for myself a totally different rhythm of living: working just enough to cover the bills, and preserving plenty of other time to indulge unrelated and unpredictable interests. Read more>>

Megan Epley | Founder & Yoga Instructor

My work life balance has completely changed throughout the years. When I first started stARTem I had no concept of work life balance. I was constantly working or stressing about what I needed to do to grow my business to the point where I felt guilty if I rested or spent any time being social. But the biggest lesson I’ve learned throughout the years (because surprise, I was pushed to a burnout) is that it’s essential to prioritize yourself. Develop your dreams into being sustainable but make sure you balance with what brings you joy. Read more>>