In the equation of work-life balance, I’m an outlier. Worse, even. I’m off the map.

I simply do not bleieve in the notion of ‘work-life balance.’ For me, work IS life. Work is where I invest all of my time and my energy… and all of my passion. So, when the pre-ordained “work day” ends, I do not and cannot suddenly turn off and become a non-working being. To me, work is never done. Success is like the horizon, an imaginary line that recedes as you approach it. Success is not an end point, but rather a fluid pursuit towards an ideal.

Life is not cut and dry. Try as we might, time cannot be neatly partitioned. By subscribing to the fundamental concepts of “work week” and “weekend” as two separate entities, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment and failure in the pursuit of this mythical ‘work-life balance.’

Instead, we should embrace work as a constant state of flux.

I consider work to be much like the ocean. High-tide is the work week, where the water is active and intense, continiously crashing down the sand below it. My intent is to be intuitive, to study the patterns and the rhythm of the waves and the troughs, to anticipate and bear any inclement weather, and to surf to the best of my abilities.

Low-tide is the weekend. The water has calmed and receded, yet still gently laps at my brain. I stay close to the ocean, but I am looking beyond it. Though I am rooted to the sand and I let the small waves wash over me, I am able to let my mind wander elsewhere.

People prefer to build a dam, stopping the workflow the minute that the clock turns from 4:59PM on Friday afternoon. And it’s no wonder that people feel inundated and overwhelmed on Monday morning, when the floodgates are lifted, and suddenly they’re in way over their head, desperately trying to tread and keep their head above the water that threatens to drown them.

It takes too much energy to maintain these contrived boundaries. Instead of turning the key and cutting off all power, I say let your brain idle. You’ll find the sudden stops and starts in the traffic of life are easier to handle when your inner motor is warm from constant, consistent use.

And as for vacations, I don’t believe in “getting away,” so much as taking an intermission to consider and contemplate the finer points of the storyline.