I Believe in Work-Life Balance...

I Also Work My Ass Off

I’m a millennial. I was raised on the idea that hard work pays off. That if you stayed late, outworked the person next to you, showed up early and came prepared... you’d move up. You’d be seen. You’d earn it.

And for a long time, that was the truth I lived by. Still do.

But lately, the conversation around work has shifted. Work-life balance isn’t just a trend... it’s become the gold standard. You hear phrases like “quiet quitting,” “soft life,” and “I’m not paid enough to care.” There’s an entire subculture glamorizing the 5pm sign-off like it’s a radical act of self-care.

And listen... I get it. I really do.

Burnout is real. Mental health matters. Nobody wants to be a slave to their job. But here’s where I’ll probably lose some of you:

I believe in work-life balance. I also believe in working your ass off.

These two things can exist at the same time. They should. But right now, we’re living in a moment where balance is being used as a shield against effort... where boundaries are becoming excuses... and where people expect fulfillment without sacrifice.

Let’s talk about it.