Hello, everyone.
This is Enta.
You hear the term “work-life balance” a lot these days, don’t you?
Honestly, I’ve been finding myself thinking more and more, “Isn’t the whole world just using that as an excuse to slack off?” lol
That thingShort-term perspectiveI can't help but think there are just too many people who only think that way.
Daily Balance?
A Week of Balance?
A Month's Balance?
A Year in Review?
That's not it.
Thinking About LifeThat's right.
Converting the Time of Our Lives into Numbers
They say life lasts 80 years, don't they?
If we convert this to time, it looks like this.
| Category | Time | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 80 Years of Life (Total Time) | Approximately 700,800 hours | 100% |
| Time spent sleeping (8 hours × 80 years) | Approximately 233,600 hours | Approx. 331 TP3T |
| Time Spent Awake | Approximately 467,200 hours | Approx. 671 TP3T |
We spend a third of our lives sleeping. People say that a lot, don't they? lol
So the question is, what are you going to do with the remaining two-thirds?
You can't just keep playing forever, can you?
It's impossible to just keep working nonstop, isn't it?
It's definitely a slope, right? lol (Or is it!?)
How do we strike this balance throughout our lives?
I think that's what true work-life balance is all about.
My Thoughts on Life Balance
This is just my own way of thinking, but here’s how I’ve organized my thoughts.
| Era | Role | Things to Do |
|---|---|---|
| 20s to 30s | The Age of Physical Fitness | Work like crazy and gain experience |
| Ages 40–50 | The Age of Experience | Managing work based on accumulated experience |
| People in their 60s and 70s | The Age of Communication | Passing on experience to the next generation |
| 80s and up— | The Season of Graduation | I want to kick the bucket as suddenly as possible, lol |
Work hard while you still have the energy, andExperience as an AssetPrepare it in advance.
Starting in your 40s, you compete on the basis of your experience and credibility.
Once I reach my 60s, I'll pass it on to the next generation.
I think this is the most natural way of things for human beings. (As a society)
My Unease with Today's Approach to Work-Life Balance
Looking at recent trends, doesn't it seem like "just be yourself" and "balancing work and personal life" have become the default expectations?
- Zero Overtime Is the Right Thing to Do
- The more days off, the better
- Don't overdo it at work
- Let's Aim for FIRE While We're Still Young
- Let's Enjoy Life with Passive Income
I totally get how you feel.
"Let's try to make life a little easier," or something like that, lol.
But you know, if you keep doing that...Life is over once you turn 40To be honest, I find myself thinking, “Huh?”
Once you get to that point, there’s no turning back, is there?
Politicians often say things like, “When I’m on vacation overseas...”
In Sweden—
You know how people say things like, “In Europe…”
It's like, "They only talk about the pros and never mention the cons at all, lol."
FIRE and passive income just aren't realistic.
You often see phrases like “Achieve FIRE while you’re young” and “Live off passive income” on social media, don’t you?
However, at a ratio close to 100%,An Unbelievable StoryThat's what I think.
*By the way, FIRE stands for...It refers to a lifestyle in which people, while still young, live without relying on earned income—a lifestyle that embodies “financial independence” and “early retirement.”
Let's say you had a talent for investing.
If that works, then that's fine.
But those kinds of people are putting in tremendous effort behind the scenes, and they’re also making an effort to gather information.
It just looks like I'm making money easily, but in reality, it's not easy at all.
Social media is all glitz and glamour—it only shows the good stuff, right?
Why are there so few people like that in the world?
The Gap Between the Ideal and Reality of Being a Landlord
Let’s consider the example of being a landlord, a classic form of passive income.
Don't you find yourself thinking, "It's great—you just lend it out and the money comes in, right?"
Here is a table comparing the ideal and reality.
| Ideal (A Piece of Cake Scenario) | Reality |
|---|---|
| Owning Property with Zero Debt | Most Start with Loans |
| Always Fully Booked | There is always a risk of vacancies |
| Does not deteriorate | It will inevitably deteriorate, and repair costs will be incurred. |
| Tenants must pay their rent. | Risk of Nonpayment or Abandoning the Premises |
| Zero Problems | 100%—here comes the trouble lol |
Actually, there's data to back this up.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications’ “Reiwa 5 Housing and Land Statistical Survey (Preliminary Results),” the number of vacant homes nationwide isApproximately 9 million households, of which vacant rental properties areApproximately 4.43 million households。
The vacancy rate for rental housing is generallyAround 18%...and has been trending this way.
If it's a 10-unit apartment building, that works out to an average of two vacant units.
Even if you own an apartment, if no one's living in it, it's just an empty box, lol.
Fully occupied, no rent delinquencies, absolutely no equipment malfunctions, water leaks, or neighborhood disputes, and no worries about the building getting old… There’s no way a property like that exists, lol.
In a capitalist system, it's practically impossible to make money without doing anything.
Everyone is surely going through some kind of hardship, struggling, and doing their best, aren't they?
Especially when I was younger.
There are tons of landlords on social media who are still working their butts off even though they're getting up there in age, lol.
The reason middle-aged men and women seem so composed is their “courage.”
Because they've been through those kinds of experiences, these middle-aged men and women are able to maintain a sense of composure even as they struggle to get by day to day.VisibleThat's right.
This,CourageThat's right! LOL
By the way, “courage” refers to...The mental strength and courage to remain unflinching and calmly face difficulties and fears...
It’s not like, “Those people seem so laid-back—I wish I were like that,” lol.
I've gained enough experience to make me seem composed.It's the result.
I'm used to trouble by now.
That's why I'm so calm. (Though my heart might be racing on the inside, lol.)
And there are absolutely no shortcuts.
Your stamina really does decline!
I used to think, “I’ll still be able to give it my all even when I’m an old guy.”
But, you know, my body just can't handle it lol
I really am starting to decline. It’s especially noticeable physically.
This isn't just about willpower—if you look into it, you'll see that...DataThere are so many of them lol.
According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s “Physical Fitness and Motor Skills Survey,”Grip strength peaks between the ages of 35 and 39 for men and 40 and 44 for women.。
Apparently, it declines gradually and linearly from that point on.
Medically speaking, it is said that muscle mass decreases at a rate of approximately 1% per year after the age of 30 (the general progression of sarcopenia).
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology “Physical Fitness and Motor Skills Survey”
Here's what it looks like.
Stamina and experience points are inversely proportional.
In their late 40s"Turning Point"...and they intersect exactly there.
From here on out, you’ll be shifting to a life where you earn through experience.
Here's a table showing how physical fitness is perceived by age group.
| Era | Physical Stamina (with the 20s set as 100) | What We Can Do |
|---|---|---|
| 20s | 100 | Can do anything; can push through even when it's tough |
| In their 30s | 90–95 | I can still push myself a bit further |
| 40s | 70–80 | I start to feel tired the next day |
| in their 50s | 50–60 | I can't push myself; I need time to recover. |
| in their 60s | 30–40 | Jobs that rely on physical stamina are tough. |
| Ages 70 and older | Less than that | As sudden as possible! |
*This is purely based on my personal impressions, but this is what I’ve observed from the senior colleagues and supervisors I’ve worked with on the job.
Furthermore, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s “Reiwa 4 Figures on Healthy Life Expectancy” (document dated December 24, Reiwa 6), healthy life expectancy isMen: 72.57 years old; Women: 75.45 years old。
The difference from life expectancy is 8.49 years for men and 11.63 years for women.
In other words, this means that toward the end of life—about 9 years for men and about 12 years for women—people are likely to experience some form of ill health.
When your body starts to decline, your mind follows suit.
You start thinking, “I’m not young anymore, so I can’t do it,” or “I can’t do that anymore.”
So, while you’re still physically able in your 20s and 30s, work your butt off, andExperience as an AssetI have to save up [...].
The view of life looks completely different depending on whether you take a short-term or a lifelong perspective.
Let's compare the differences between a short-term perspective and a lifelong perspective.
| Short-term perspective (1 day to 1 year) | A Lifetime Perspective (80 Years) | |
|---|---|---|
| Views on Work | It'll be fine if I can take the day off today. | Your hard work today is an investment in your future |
| How to Use It When You're Young | I want to take it easy and have fun | Build it up while you still have the energy |
| Ages 40 and up | Keep going by relying on my stamina | We Can Win on the Strength of Our Experience |
| Ages 60 and older | I get overwhelmed and hit a wall. | I’ll be in a position to pass on my knowledge to the next generation |
| Results | Hitting a Wall in Middle Age | Maintain balance throughout your life |
Depending on which path you choose, the view of life changes completely.
It's not that you shouldn't have fun while you're young.
If you're going to have fun, do it while you work!
Partying all night, then dragging myself to work in the morning! (I should really try to stop doing that, lol)
It's okay to slack off once in a while! As long as it helps you maintain your balance, that's fine! No problem!
I’d like you to take a look at your life from the perspective of a “lifetime.”
Once you do that, you should be able to see what you need to do right now.
Work-life balance isn't just about "Can I take the day off today?"
Spending a Lifetime Striking a Balance Between Life and WorkThings.
This is true whether you're on a slope-construction site or in the real world.
To all of you young people, there’s one thing I really want you to get right.
Go all out while you're young! Let's work our butts off, struggle like crazy, fail over and over again, and give it our all even if it makes us want to throw up blood!
When you reach your limit, just forget about work and take a break!
You shouldn't work until you die! However, you should maintain the mindset to keep working right up until the very end.
Once that happens, your life will start to take a turn for the better in your 40s!!
It will definitely!!! change! (And vice versa.)
See you later.
The Difference Between Making a Difficult Decision and an Easy One
