← Back to context

Comment by Simon_O_Rourke

6 days ago

Attention is relative, like if you're in the middle of some code review and your kid calls saying they've got a problem, then you may get distracted - but rightfully so.

Not like this jerk, who's kid had to put time in his calendar for playing chess with him, because he was too interested in his own career https://www.pathtostaff.com/p/work-life-balance-slows-career...

I'm mid-30s, never did anything to accelerate my career, and have already reached a point in my career that I'd be happy at if I stopped climbing here. I also can eat 3 meals per day with my family because I work from home and I have multiple athletic and intellectual pursuits.

Speedrunning a career at the expense of living the rest of your life just seems psychotic to me.

  • As someone who couldn't agree more with this part "Speedrunning a career at the expense of living the rest of your life just seems psychotic to me.", I don't think they see it that way. For a lot of people who work this much, the career is the dominant part of their life by choice. It's not popular to admit that anymore but they don't have a destination, they are doing what they enjoy (working a lot).

  • I’m glad I’m not the only one! I decided early on that the balance means more to me than making more money or having the most amazing resume.

Haven't read the link, but I might actually steal this idea.

Not because I don't want to prioritize my kids, I really do and am fortunate enough to be in a position where I'm able to, but I often let them down because I end up getting distracted with work calls and forget commitments I've made to them.

Honestly having a calendar reminder pop up for me that I promised I'd play a game of Pokemon cards with my kid at a certain time let's me make sure that time stays free for them.

  • do read the link. don't be like that (assuming it is real)

    • Oh the reason I'm not reading it is because I can already tell from the comments here this is a cautionary tale, so I'm going to take the "hey blocking out time on the calendar keeps kid time protected" idea and assume the rest is "be an ass" and just leave that part.

      2 replies →

HN has been cheering for those types of people for as long as I have been here. Musk seldom even sees his 10 kids, except one. Jobs just decided that raising his daughter was not his problem.

  • HN has been very anti-grind, anti-working hard for as long as I’ve been reading it.

  • Really? We must have been reading two different HNs. I have the impression that posts appreciating work-life balance get more upvotes that the ones trying to sell you "your career is the most important thing you have" narrow outlook.

That is an unhinged post/blog/whatever that is. I've never seen such a load of cope for overworking and living for your employer.

  • I'm loving the idea of calling something a "load of cope," especially these days, haha. Thanks for that!