The work-related health problems we see today tend to be linked to stress, sitting at a desk all day, working late hours, not taking the time to eat healthily and exercise regularly, not taking proper time off at all. These factors can be just as prevalent in an office job as in a startup environment.

Personally, I used to get migraines in my corporate job. I thought naively that creating more of an independent and flexible lifestyle would automatically make me more healthy and relaxed. As it turns out, I'm the same self-motivated and ambitious person I was before, and I'm working harder than ever! Now I have a different kind of stress today, and I'm enjoying every minute... but I'm afraid I still get migraines from time to time! Health is a factor of your genetics along with your lifestyle choices.

The whole concept of work-life balance is an artificial dichotomy and it's more a question of an overall sense of balance across the different aspects of life that are important to you and your wellbeing. In my case, this means keeping myself challenged and fulfilled; earning enough money; spending time alone and with friends and family; eating well and staying fit; learning new skills and having new experiences; travelling; having fun; and so on.

When it comes to the question of what it takes to succeed, the key is first to define what “succeeding” means to you. What are the goals that you want to achieve? And, most importantly, why? Real success comes from setting meaningful goals. One of my favourite quotes is this:

“It doesn’t really matter how fast you’re going if you’re heading in the wrong direction.” - Stephen Covey, author of the classic, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

So even if you’re achieving those goals, you’re ticking them off at an impressive pace, what is the point if you don’t actually care about the result? Or, worse, if the result is detrimental to you in some way, including perhaps your health?

Having the right goals in place is fundamental to successfully achieving them and for that achievement to really contribute to your happiness and life satisfaction. So I encourage you to define what that 'ideal' balance is for you, and what 'success' means.

Let me know if you want to chat further about your specific situation and your goals!