Weekly Mix #235 - Why sacrificing some work/life balance isn't a bad thing

Working Hard, Ray Dalio, Participatory Cities & Electric Planes

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Happy Tuesday!

One of the most popular topics in the work world over the last 10 years is the concept of "work/life balance."

The pandemic has many people reconsidering what's important to them in their work lives too. Work-from-home and flexible work hours are becoming standard. Four-day work weeks are more common.

But not everyone shares the same opinion that we need balance, particularly those of us early in our careers:

Marcelo Claure-->

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@marceloclaure

It bothers me when I hear young employees talk about work/life balance at an early stage of their lives. Work your butt off at the beginning, make money, save it and then later in life aim for work/life balance as you will need it with kids and partners etc. this is my POV

April 15th 2022

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Steph Smith makes a related point:

Steph Smith-->

@stephsmithio

The idea that you likely need to work harder than the average person to be more successful than the average person (in whatever domain — business, exercise, etc) should not be controversial.

April 16th 2022

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Almost everything in life requires a tradeoff: an investment of time, money, effort, or all three.

The influence of luck is unavoidable, which is why we see different outcomes for similar commitments of time, money, and effort.

Working hard is likely a necessary but not sufficient requirement for being more successful.

If you want an above-average outcome, you're going to have to do something different from the norm.

Working harder is a good start.

Have a great week.

Graham

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Links

📚 Book: Big Debt Crises - Ray Dalio - Ray Dalio is co-chief investment officer of Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund. His book principles was excellent, and I've now heard Big Debt Crises and his other book, Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order, recommended several times. His first book, Principles (book notes here), was also excellent, so I expect nothing less.

If you're looking for something more accessible, his YouTube Channel is excellent too.

📖 The Illustrated Guide to Participatory City - Tessy Britton & Amber Anderson - Published by Participatory City, a group based in London, this guide goes into detail about why and how we can develop better communities through shared activities. One of the conundrums of the modern world is the tradeoff between increased mobility and a sense of community where you live.

📖 Electric Planes Are Coming Sooner Than You Think - Afar - Elissa Garay - Electric continues to disrupt transportation, now moving into air travel. This piece covers the airlines investing heavily, the companies supplying them, and when we're likely to see the first routes (some exist already).

📖 Building Healthy Habits When You're Truly Exhausted - Elizabeth Grace Saunders - HBR - A quick read on building healthy habits with a busy lifestyle. The first is the most important: start with sleep first.

🎧 Lane 8 Summer 2020 Mixtape - Lane 8 is my go-to work music (upbeat, very few lyrics), and he's got a variety of mixes available on SoundCloud.

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