Work/life balance ⚖ - does it exist?

One thing that's surprised me a little as I've been interviewing lawyers for my Happy Lawyer book is how different lawyers have approached work/life balance differently. ⚖

For example, when asked about what their life would look like in a year if everything worked out for them that year, many lawyers would talk about getting a better work/life balance. More time with family, less time grinding it at work.

Some of those are angry at it. 😠 "Why do we say "work/life balance" and not "life/work balance"? It's like we're setting ourselves up to fail."

One american lawyer pointed out a big difference after moving from one side of the country to the other "On the east coast, it felt like people lived to work. On the west coast, it feels more like people work to live." Obviously this can't be true all of the time, but is it generally true?

One conversation that particularly stuck with me had the lawyer opining on work/life balance:

"I hate the phrase work/life balance because it DOESN'T EXIST. There is no balance. When I look back, was there enough joy to make it worthwhile? Enough time to do the things I wanted to do?"

And yet so many of don't have enough time. Maybe that's the secret to being a happy lawyer - creating a day with 25 hours in it.

😂😂😭

What do you think? Can balanced be reach between life and work? What is the most important thing to do to get it?

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