"if you don't recognise the number, don't answer the phone; if it is important, they'll leave a message. If they don't, it's not important"
– been applying this a fair bit lately. The world has not yet ended despite the dramatics of the odd person to begin with.
"Work to live, not live to work"
– done the 60+ hrs/week, 28 work days/month, earned heaps and was miserable. Do 38hrs/week, occasional OT, less money, but more time to enjoy what 'little' I do have.
"just because it is 'fun', doesn't mean it is not 'real' work"
– my family took a while to realise that 40hrs/week standing in the snow and cold for 6 months of the year in Colorado so that I could ski 150+ days/year was actually as real a job as being a miserable desk jockey. I had less comparable debt than any of them, way less stress, actually didn't mind going to work (except on pow days…), etc