book.chapter Principle #1 – achievement is multidimensional.

Achieving success involves more than just dedicating yourself to your career. It also requires building strong personal relationships, serving your community, staying physically fit, and pursuing other areas that matter to you as an individual. True success comes when you excel across all domains important to you, not just at work. For years now, a dedicated faction has grown promoting the notion of working extremely long hours. Contrary to early optimistic predictions about technology freeing up leisure time, many professionals today either work or monitor job-related tasks for over 80 hours per week—nearly double the standard full-time week. Why do people overwork in modern times despite forecasts of increased free time? Some enjoy technology-focused work collaborating with admired colleagues on complex problems. This provides a sense of flow in using expertise to solve intricate challenges. Work can prove intrinsically motivating by engaging intellectually. Achieving ambitious objectives also promotes personal growth by building confidence to take on greater efforts. Being fully concentrated on work activities can induce a flow state where time seems to pass quickly while progressing smoothly from one task to the next. While flow represents occasional peaks, even the prospect of experiencing it again can serve as a powerful motivator to put in long hours. Unlike hazy personal relationships, work offers clearer feedback on one’s performance through task lists, project schedules, and measurable benchmarks. There is comfort in the structure of knowing whether one is on track to deliver expected results. Some professionals impose extremely high expectations on themselves, working long hours to satisfy personal standards. Peer pressure also comes into play, as employees feel compelled to match the work ethic modeled by bosses and colleagues. Falling into a form of addiction, some overworkers cannot pull back without feeling like they are not adequately contributing. Certain industries promote and admire pushing oneself to work ever longer hours in pursuit of career success. High-profile examples, like SpaceX founder Elon Musk working 80-100 hour weeks while leading multiple companies, set a standard for others to emulate. Yet the strain of excessive work often comes at the cost of personal relationships and self-care. Musk’s failed marriages demonstrate the loneliness and emotional disconnect resulting from extreme overwork. His ambitions continue to take priority over life balance. In truth, no one domain alone constitutes success. The ten spheres that substantially influence quality of life include: career, finance, health/fitness, friends, significant other, children, extended family, personal growth/learning, community service, and faith. Satisfaction depends on nurturing each area enough to avoid negative spillover into other realms. For instance, money stress can strain marital relations just as poor health can reduce workplace output. The first step in creating balance is acknowledging success means more than professional accomplishments alone. It is not beneficial to sacrifice other life priorities solely for temporary career gains. Three non-negotiables form the foundation of sustainable achievement across all domains: self-care, relationships, and work. Without adequate rest, nutrition and exercise, it becomes impossible to maintain energy for consistent results. Healthy self-care lets you bring full focus and determination to delivering your best effort. You must budget time daily for basic wellbeing needs. Likewise, scheduling meaningful interactions with significant others, children, and friends feeds the soul. Shared moments build intimacy and trust to prevent isolation. Work achievements feel hollow without loved ones to celebrate with. Finally, dedicating time for the work activities that generate the most value helps maximize your professional impact. Recognition of top priorities allows for redirecting effort from less critical tasks. It helps align available hours with essential goals. Taking time for these three non-negotiables brings your life into balance across all domains. The reality is that time feels scarce with so many demands competing for attention. But deciding what gets priority prevents feeling overwhelmed. With non-negotiables guarded, you can feel assured that success encompasses more than work, but also health, family and self-fulfillment.