Jeff Bezos' Work Life Circle

Business Insider shared how Jeff Bezos views work-life balance. He views it more as a circle.

I get asked about work-life balance all the time. And my view is, that’s a debilitating phrase because it implies there’s a strict trade-off. … It actually is a circle. It’s not a balance

This is an interesting view of work. Having it be part of your life and not a hard line. The article shares a common day for Bezos.

He makes time for breakfast every morning with his family, doesn’t set his alarm before going to bed, schedules surprisingly few meetings, and still sets aside a few minutes every day to wash his own dishes.

Achieving a harmonious approach between your life and work is easier to do when you are the head of a major corporation or when you work for someone who encourages the same. Today many people are caught in the cycle Frederick Brooks Jr. talks about in The Mythical Man-Month. Never ending marches where work is the only aspect of life.

More companies need to adopt a philosophy of both work and life being important.

If I am happy at home, I come into the office with tremendous energy … And if I am happy at work, I come home with tremendous energy. You never want to be that guy - and we all have a coworker who’s that person - who, as soon as they come into a meeting, they drain all the energy out of the room … You want to come into the office and give everyone a kick in their step.