[lightsighter]

As someone who has been very laser focused in life I often feel the opposite of you. I finished university, did my PhD, and now have a job doing research in the area of my PhD. I've been working 60-80 hour weeks for the past 10 years. I do some small activities on the side, so life isn't monotonous, but I don't invest in anything nearly as much as I do my work. I often wonder if I'm missing out on life by not committing to more things. So we're on opposite sides of the same coin. The grass isn't necessarily greener...

[danielecook]

It can be very tough to get ahead in science/academia without that laser focus, unfortunately.

[loriverkutya]

Nobody ever mentioned to regret that they have not worked harder. Most people regrets they had not spent more time not working.

[borumpilot]

That seems to me to be survivor bias: It's cool to claim the one (more quality time), it looks lazy to admit one should have worked harder.