August 30, 2024
Story [#7]

The greatest myth.

Or a minute of elusive balance

Who doesn’t dream of a balanced, harmonious life?

Definitely not me.

It sounds so perfect.

Harmony.

Family.

Happy, healthy, caring, attentive, joyful.

Shared discoveries, events, experiences.

Work.

Without sucking the life out of you.

Pure enjoyment.

A sense of fulfillment, purpose.

A stable income. High!

You need a lot for balance.

Legacy and life's purpose.

Smart (and not) movies.

Exploration.

Free time.

Hobbies.

Friends.

Health.

Sports.

Travel.

Music.

Books.

Sleep.

Sex.

X-Pert
Did I miss anything?
The Founder
What kind of balance doesn’t include all the important things?
X-Pert
Let’s add more!

And this is not even the best part.

The juggler.

Juggling heavy clubs.

High up on a tightrope.

Add:

  • Rain
  • Siberian frost
  • A burning rope
  • Hurricane winds
  • Wild saber-toothed tigers

It’s not always fun for everyone.

Is taking out the trash part of the balance or not?

What about the window the kids broke (luckily, they didn’t get hurt)?

Life is full of pleasant and unpleasant surprises.

Anything can happen at any moment.

Maybe the rich and famous have found balance?

One becomes a monk, another grinds 16 hours a day, and another seems to have lost their mind completely.

How about the trust-fund babies?

Not a chance.

Everyone’s chasing this fully balanced life.

And me, of course. Why would I be any different?

But.

There is no such thing as balance.

It’s a myth.

Balance is a process, not a state.

It’s a constant dance:

  • This is on fire.
  • That’s broken.
  • Something fell off.
  • Over here, it’s dried up.

And when you understand and accept that,

You discover the main secret.

X-Pert
Life is constant change. There are no static systems.
X-Pert
Even "dead" matter is constantly changing due to entropy.
The Founder
So if that’s the case, then obsessing over not being able to reach this balance is just wasting your energy and time on meaningless suffering.
X-Pert
People always want more. There’s always something new to chase after.

Spend time with family, but don’t lose your mind when you need to push hard at work...

And vice versa.

Just live.

Live your life.

Solve problems.

Help when you can.

Love when you feel it.

Be happy when there’s a reason.

It’s constant motion.

That’s. Just. How. It. Is.

If you want to know more about other mess-ups and lessons on my entrepreneurial journey — subscribe to Eugene’s Stories.

See you soon!

- Eugene

And one more thing.

A quick video I made on the topic. Might be useful.

Every founder has their own way of getting through hard days.

Mine is Nyx Thorne — a fictional hero I created to remind myself that clarity, courage, and rebellion are always possible.

Her journal reminds me (and maybe you) that it’s okay to struggle — and still move forward.
That’s all for today. See you next week.
- Eugene

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Autjor avatar

Hi, I’m Eugene.

Strategist, operator, and product builder helping founders escape operational chaos and build businesses that work without them.

Over the past 20+ years, I’ve grown an international agency from one-person freelance to a multimillion-dollar business. I’ve led teams, scaled systems, burned out, rebuilt, and learned (the hard way) what it really takes to run a business that doesn’t consume your life.
Today, I work with small business owners and independent founders who’ve outgrown hustle advice and need practical structure.

I help them make sense of complexity, design simple systems, and create the kind of business they actually want to run.
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