8 Truths I Learned From Entourage: No. 7
Work Life Balance
Last week I wrote about choice. This week I’m writing about choice’s bastard cousin: balance.
Balance is a jerkface…you ever have a female friend and she gets together with this total scumbag and you, of course trapped in the dreaded Friendship Zone, point this out, only to be constantly refuted with her adamantly saying, “you don’t know him like I do!” Well that’s balance. Balance is a jerkface.
If I ever run into balance on the street I’d punch him in the nuts. Thankfully balance doesn’t exist. Vincent Chase confirmed this notion.
Sure he worked hard…movies are long days. Even Drama worked hard. But the boys were always present. There was always play to be had. If work is ham then play is mashed potatoes.
In our modern society there’s this bizarre notion of work life balance and really…it doesn’t exist. Work is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week but then…so is play. And somewhere along the way we also have to rest.
By constantly surrounding himself with his boys Vincent was able to decide when to work and when to play. Sure he had burdensome responsibilities: being on time, knowing his lines. But really, let’s be honest…at work: how much do you actually work and how much do you play? And I’m sure some days are more productive than others.
This is our beautiful modern life. And it’s a good life if you don’t weaken. I dig these companies with air hockey tables in the staff lounges, free food in the kitchen. Maybe we do work more than we should. Perhaps we’re even underpaid for the amount of hours we put in. Perhaps.
Similar to Vincent Chase is IMAX filmmaker David Breashears who being tasked with shooting an expedition up and on top of Mount Everest listed 10 requirements prior to starting including No. 7: “In selecting teammates, choose people to get stranded with.”
That’s it exactly. Survival is hard work but if you’re gonna get stuck (and death is imminent) you may as well go out with some laughs and high fives. There’s an old terrible joke that goes: “So the other night I went to see the fights and a hockey game broke out.” I counter work life balance with preparedness and openness. So even though it might be time to work we can easily launch into play and vice versa.
I guess the other lesson in all of this…is team. Much like picking your team in gym, don’t go with the losers. (Relax…I was always picked last, which was great. I just sat on the bench and let the other kids do the sweaty work). Pick a team that knows how to work and knows how to play. It’ll blur the lines of work life even more but meh…So Be It.
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Also published on Medium.
