| > what would you do when your gf/bf/wife/husband complains about it? When my wife complains about it, I just listen. She's also a working professional who works a ton more than I do so it's usually a red flag if she brings it up. A lot of times it's not about coming up with a resolution but just trying to understand what she is frustrated with. > So how do you handle this balance? When I first started working remote about 10 years ago I didn't think it was an issue. It was supposed to be the dream setup. But then I eventually had kids and started my own company and saw the lines between work/life blur. At first I told myself this was natural since it was one of the side affects of being remote but I quickly became dissatisfied with that answer. This was especially the case when I felt like I had to start choosing between time with my family and time for work. I eventually came to realize that life stuff (i.e. family, relationships, etc.) aren't a time suck from work but a healthy constraint. For me, success does not come from pouring every ounce of energy I have into work but from embracing the constraints of my life. I use these constraints to focus on the most important things I have to do for work so that I can get back to my family as soon as possible. For more of a practical standpoint the following are the things I do to manage the balance (especially since my home is where I work). - Have doors on the office. - Family time, is strictly family time. No emails on the phone, github issues, harvest invoice, etc. I'm not perfect at this but I try to go with the distraction free iPhone methodology [https://medium.com/life-hacks/my-year-with-a-distraction-fre...] - Have strict business hours. - Don't blur the line between work and personal health. Which means eating appropriately and getting the appropriate amount of sleep. |