Emil Barr - a young American entrepreneur who, by the age of 22, had built two companies valued at more than $20 million - wrote a Wall Street Journal op-ed titled “Work-Life Balance Will Keep You Mediocre.”

Barr’s argument is simple and unapologetic - he claims that pursuing work-life balance actively holds people back from exceptional success. It’s bold, it’s uncomfortable to read. But is it true?

“Many people are happy to just give 10%, I just don’t know any of their names.” - David Sedaris. 100% effort for me doesn’t always mean hard work and eating lunch at my desk, it means taking the risk to be wrong. In a startup, it’s hard to do a mediocre job when everything relies on a few people. Things will go wrong and make us feel silly. But at least here at Wildest Dream, we’re all well beyond 10% effort and if looking silly is the price we pay for running towards something we truly believe in, then it’s worth it.

As I sit here, writing this at 32-years-old, I do get that strong feeling that I am at a critical juncture in my life. There’s something about your 30s that makes you realise that you’re running out of second chances. That most of the doors in your life are already behind you. A moment that forces reflection on missed opportunities. It’s a mental stumble – the decade where “if only I had…” starts to surface.

Earlier this week, I had a moment where I felt it was all too much. I felt overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious. So many great things have been happening with Wildest Dream recently, but it’s been a lot. And in that moment, it felt like too much for me to handle.