Work-life balance — Jeff Bezos

Everybody talks about how to establish that work-life balance. But the phrase work-life balance is misleading.

A better phrase is work-life harmony. When you feel energised and happy at work, feeling you're adding value, it makes you better at home. Likewise, if you're happy at home, it makes you a better employee or a better boss. 

It's not about the number of hours in the week. It's about if you have energy. 

Is your work depriving you of energy or generating energy for you? Similarly, are you adding energy to your work or draining your coworkers of energy? You have to decide if you're going to add energy. The same at home. So it's a cycle, not a balance.

The work-life balance metaphor implies there's a strict trade-off. However, you could be out of work and have all the time for your family but be really depressed and demoralised about your work situation. 

It's not about the number of hours. Yet, if you went over the top and worked 100 hours a week, then there could be limits. The best place is where both sides of your life give you energy.