Work/Life Balance is BS
- KAYLEIGH KENNEDY
- 1d
- 4 min read
There was a time when, on paper, everything in my life looked “balanced.”
I worked in corporate for a company that promoted work-life balance. I had flexibility before it became mainstream. I worked from home a few days a week, prior to COVID. I had benefits, structure, and stability.
And yet, I felt more disconnected from myself than ever.
On the days I drove 45 minutes each way to the office, I remember thinking that I wanted to be anywhere else. Doing anything else.
For many entrepreneurs, that feeling is what prompts the decision to leave the 9-5. Freedom, flexibility, and control over time are often our main motivators to taking the leap. The hope is that by stepping away from rigid structures, life will finally feel lighter.
Freedom, flexibility, and control over time are often our main motivators to taking the leap. The hope is that by stepping away from rigid structures, life will finally feel lighter.
But for many high performers, something unexpected happens.
The pressure doesn’t disappear - it simply follows. It can go from a 9-5 to a 24/7.
The Myth of Work-Life Balance
The concept of work-life balance is widely praised and rarely experienced in a way that feels sustainable, from my experience.
It’s a phrase that sounds good in conversation and on company websites, yet leaves many people feeling exhausted. Entrepreneurs and high achievers, in particular, often find themselves striving for balance while simultaneously feeling behind in every area of life.
Despite working hard, being intentional with time, and carving out moments for rest, the feeling of “never quite doing enough” persists.
This isn’t a personal failure.
Work-life balance implies that every area of life should receive equal time and energy, at all times. It suggests that with enough discipline, everything can be managed perfectly and simultaneously. And when that inevitably doesn’t happen, the assumption becomes that you are the problem.
The result is a familiar cycle: guilt when working, stress and guilt when resting, and a persistent sense of internal pressure. Over time, this approach contributes not to fulfillment, but to burnout.
.... guilt when working, stress and guilt when resting, and a persistent sense of internal pressure. Over time, this approach contributes not to fulfillment, but to burnout.
Why Balance Doesn’t Work for High Performers
High performers are not struggling because they lack commitment or effort. In most cases, they are doing more than enough.
The issue is that balance demands consistency in a world that is inherently seasonal.
Careers evolve. Businesses grow and contract. Families go through phases. Personal capacity changes. Attempting to give equal energy to every domain of life, regardless of circumstance, creates friction rather than harmony.
Life is not perfectly balanced. Both life and business can experience so many unexpected turns and challenges.
A More Sustainable Alternative: Work-Life Harmony
Rather than striving for balance, a more sustainable approach that I preach and practice is work-life harmony.
Harmony acknowledges that different seasons require different priorities. Some periods demand more focus on career or business. Others call for more time and attention to family, health, or other personal matters. At most times, the most important work we can do is internal.
Nothing has gone wrong when these shifts occur.
Work-life harmony allows for movement rather than measurement. It replaces rigid expectations with intentional decision-making. Instead of asking, “Am I doing enough?” the question becomes, “What is this season asking of me?,” “What do I need right now?”
This shift has a profound effect and not just on productivity, but on well-being. Harmony supports the nervous system. It reduces internal conflict. It allows you to engage more fully with whatever you are prioritizing, without constant self-judgment.
Redefining Success Without Burnout
For those who feel perpetually behind, stretched thin, or outwardly successful yet internally depleted, the solution is rarely to try harder.
More discipline is not the answer. More pressure is also not the answer.
What’s often needed is permission to operate differently, to honor capacity, and to align actions with the realities of the current season you are in.
Success that comes at the expense of presence, health, or self-connection is not sustainable. And increasingly, it’s not what people want.
Letting go of the pursuit of balance doesn’t mean abandoning ambition. It means redefining success in a way that supports long-term fulfillment rather than short-term performance.
Work-life harmony isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing what matters without burning yourself out in the process.
Meet the expert:
Kayleigh Kennedy is a Business & Mindset Coach who helps entrepreneurs and leaders break self-sabotaging patterns and create sustainable success without burnout or pressure. In just four years, she built a six-figure coaching business, generating over seven figures in sales, while navigating motherhood and her son’s cancer journey. She knows what it takes to perform under pressure, and how to do it without sacrificing well-being. Through habit, belief, and identity-based coaching, Kayleigh helps high-achievers rewire patterns, elevate their environment, and step into their next level with clarity, confidence, and ease.
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