Finding Balance (Work in Progress)

let me be honest: work-life balance is something i struggle with.

the work is fascinating. the stakes feel high. there's always more to do.

and i'm not good at stopping.

the problem

i love my job. this makes it hard to stop. when work is interesting, "just one more thing" extends into hours.

the culture is intense. not in a toxic way. but people here care a lot. excellence is expected. that's motivating, but also exhausting.

i'm young and anxious. i feel like i need to prove myself. like resting means falling behind.

remote flexibility is a trap. i can work from anywhere. which means i work from everywhere. boundaries blur.

none of this is unique to me or my company. it's tech culture broadly. but i'm living it.

1. hard stop times laptop closed by 7pm on most days. not always achieved but the goal exists.

2. protected weekends saturday and sunday are not work days. (okay, sometimes i cheat. but i try.)

3. physical activity forcing myself to the gym. exercise helps everything.

4. hobbies trying to have interests outside of AI. reading fiction. cooking. walks.

5. social commitments scheduling things with friends so they actually happen.

i don't want balance to mean mediocrity. i want to do great work AND have a life.

some people figure this out. i'm still learning.

progress, not perfection.

i'm better than i was six months ago. maybe in another six months i'll be better still.

writing this on a saturday. ironic? maybe. but it's reflection, not work. that counts, right?