Work-Life Balance Doesn't Exist

2:30AM, 16 hours up and still going, 5th cup of coffee, two big "group" projects due in less than 3 days, oh 'tis the season. It's the time where the last wave of big assignments are due, final exams are on the horizon and there's that itching urge that you just want it to be over with. Champagne bottles for some are just waiting in a few weeks to be popped, celebrating the end of their degrees. Others are ignoring deadlines, procrastinating and figuring out what they're going to wear at those year-end gala events and for many (myself included) are just struggling to figure out what day of the week it is and take it all one day at a time.

Balance.

Apparently it's important.

Specifically, work-life balance.

I feel like this rant will go very well with my last LinkedIn post about priorities. Consider this to be the sequel. And if you haven't read it yet, go read it. Maybe I'll get LinkedIn famous and Kevin O'Leary will start following me.

But I digress.

Work-life balance: The ever trending concept that promotes all around positive health, both mentally and physically and to ensure that we all avoid burnout that seems pretty predominant these days with the lifestyle pace of millennials and Generation Y kids.

Now before I sound like I'm a non-advocate for work-life balance, I'm really all for it and how it's promoted. Workplaces and organizations do a great job communicating its importance, making sure that you do you, whether it's taking the time to make a home cooked meal, watch Netflix occasionally or spending those 2 hours on Tinder before bed. Whatever activities you find pleasure in, reminding yourself to prioritize them to stay positive and be healthy mentally and physically is definitely a must.

However.

I feel like the concept of work-life balance stemmed from some derivative of the following scenarios

a) You work a job with little fulfillment and you have a crappy attitude because you've started a Gossip Girl marathon on Netflix and can't focus at work and just want to sit at home all day until you get through the whole series.

b) Chatting up bae (or friends) during business hours is so difficult because you're working (oh the travesty)

c) Apparently you feel like the remaining 128 hours available after your work week isn't enough to live life

d) You enjoy chicken nuggets too much.

Now before the pitchforks come out, yes, I get it. Some people have no concept or realization that they may need a little bit of time to just do things for them, especially when they're visibly drained. The off weeks I visit my parents, I nag my mother all the time to go out and do something fun for herself. But she reminds me that she's happy. Regardless of how much work she has on her plate or what she's doing, she's happy. As long as you're there to support friends/fam when you do notice any signs of potential burnout or unhappiness, it will be appreciated

But. 

I don't believe in this notion that if you're putting in 40, 60 or whatever hours of work one week, that there's a universal formula where you need x amount of time to yourself to balance that all out. Hell, work will never be greater than life, since life is constantly throwing unrelated work-tings at you every second of the day that you can't ever plan for. And when it happens, most of the time, dwelling on this concept of work-life balance, or whining or complaining ends up being ten times more counter-productive, that when you just do what you gotta do, everything balances itself out in the end anyways.

Entrepreneurs I know constantly face the similar scrutiny of this whole "work-life balance" concept, specifically, not getting enough of it. I'm sure their mothers nag them about needing to get more sleep, to work less, go out or eat a sandwich cause they're looking a little thin, but said work to them is necessity and a motivator to get to something done that's bigger than them. It's bigger than work and for some it's bigger than life. Do they really need to drop what they're doing and spend an hour at the spa? Or take a YOLO week off and watch Fuller House on Netflix out of nostalgia and to feel good?

No.

If you actually make work meaningful, the heck do you need work-life balance for? Citing my example earlier of the ones that I feel like probably came up with the concept, if you're not finding any fulfillment in the work you do or at least have some sort of harmony or synergy between the work you do and your values or future aspirations, then you're clearly in the wrong job and should probably stay home and finish your seasons of Gossip Girl until you figure out what type of work gives you meaning, triggers a vision, elicits passion or gives you a remote sense of care.

Like I said, at the end of the day, work will never be greater than life. There are too many unpredictable things that are going to happen that's going to take your mind off of work:

A paper cut.

A spilled coffee.

A tinder match.

So this concept of work life balance is already invalid based on a technicality. To me, if you find something in your work that gets you excited or at least gets you up in the morning, you're doing OK. And for the times that you have those bad days, it's OK to watch an episode or two on Netflix or eat that Kit Kat bar. Hell. Have another one. Whatever you gotta do to keep your head up and stay positive. You have at least 128 hours after your 40 hour work week to figure that out.

You'll be fine.

Just ease up on the nuggets.