The other day, I overheard a group of guys talking. One said,
“Saturday, I’m going to my favorite artist’s show. After that, bottles until sunrise. Sunday morning, church to repent, then later we hit the club for soccer and to wash down the hangover. That, my brother, is what we call life.”
Everyone laughed, glasses clinked, and they cheered: “Work-life balance!”
But I couldn’t help thinking… is that really life?
The African Version of “Life”
When you hear some people cry, “We need work-life balance!”, pause and check what they call life.
For many, it’s a one-roomed house in the high-density suburbs, with a squeaking bed, a tiny TV that coughs every time ZESA comes back, and maybe a crate of empty beer bottles for decoration.
Meanwhile, those with real lives the mansions on the hills, bedrooms the size of an entire house in Glen View, 75-inch smart TVs with the full DStv bouquet they don’t spend Saturdays crying for balance. They’re busy working, building, creating, and grinding.
The Harsh Truth
You can’t “balance” something you don’t yet have. Work-life balance only makes sense when you’ve actually built a life worth balancing. Otherwise, what are you balancing? Beer vs hangover? Rent vs red labels?
The people you admire the ones sipping wine on Santorini holidays or driving German machines they sacrificed balance to first create a life. Only after building did they earn the luxury of balance.
The Lesson
Before you chase “life,” chase work.
Before you demand balance, build a foundation.
Because balance without achievement is just glorified idleness.
So, African entrepreneur, employee, or hustler: let’s stop confusing “weekend groove” with life. First, create a life worth balancing then balance it.
By The Chartered Vendor
#WorkLifeBalance #AfricanHustle #EntrepreneurshipAfrica #TheCharteredVendor #BusinessMindset #HardWorkPays #AfricanBusinessTruths
