Is Work-Life Balance Actually Real? (2412)

In this episode of Next Level University, hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros take a hard look at the idea of work-life balance and question whether it is actually helping people grow or quietly keeping them average. They break down the difference between balance, integration, and true priority management, showing why big goals often demand a level of focus that does not feel balanced at all.

This episode explores how health, wealth, and love compete for your time, how blind spots shape what feels easy or hard, and why trying to give everything equal energy can leave you stuck in the middle. If you want more clarity, better standards, and a more honest way to think about success, this conversation will sharpen your perspective. Hit play before you waste another week trying to keep all your plates equally impressive.

_______________________

NLU is not just a podcast; it’s a gateway to a wealth of resources designed to help you achieve your goals and dreams. From our Next Level Dreamliner to our Group Coaching, we offer a variety of tools and communities to support your personal development journey.

For more information, check out our website and socials using the links below. 👇

Website: http://www.nextleveluniverse.com

Instagram:
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/

Facebook:
Alan: https://www.facebook.com/alan.lazaros
Kevin: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.palmieri.90/

Email:
Kevin@nextleveluniverse.com
Alan@nextleveluniverse.com

LinkedIn:
Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-palmieri-5b7736160/
Alan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc/

_______________________

Show notes:
(2:03) The size of your goals
(4:10) When balance can exist
(6:15) Personal, social, and professional development
(7:44) Why relationships are not passive
(11:37) Balance versus focused priorities
(12:17) How the three areas feed each other
(13:31) Outro

🎙️ Hosted by Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros

Next Level University is a top-ranked daily podcast for dream chasers and self-improvement lovers. With over 2,100 episodes, we help you level up in life, love, health, and wealth one day at a time. Subscribe for real, honest, no-fluff growth every single day.

Transcript

Kevin Palmieri

(0:00) I did a post in Next Level Nation and the question I posed was, do you believe there is such thing as work-life balance? (0:07) And there were some really good answers in there. (0:10) And it was a gentle, somewhere gentle argument against mine.(0:15) Other people agreed. (0:16) But it's always interesting to see what people think about this because I think a lot of us have convinced ourselves it is one way when in reality it is probably the opposite, unfortunately.

Alan Lazaros

(0:26) Yeah, I think work-life balance is a silly suboptimal concept. (0:33) I think work-life integration is powerful. (0:35) I also think harmony is a good word.(0:37) Welcome to Next Level University.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:40) I'm your host, Kevin Palmieri. (0:42) And I'm your co-host, Alan Lazarus. (0:45) At NLU, we believe in a heart-driven but no-BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers.

Alan Lazaros

(0:51) Our goal with every episode is to help you level up your life, love, health, and wealth.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:58) We bring you a new episode every single day on topics like confidence, self-belief, self-worth, self-awareness, relationships, boundaries, consistency, habits, and defining your own unique version of success.

Alan Lazaros

(1:14) Self-improvement, in your pocket, every day, from anywhere, completely free.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:20) Welcome to Next Level University. (1:26) Next Level Nation, today for episode number 2412, is work-life balance actually real? (1:33) Okay, here's my thesis.(1:34) We got 10 minutes, probably 9 minutes from this moment. (1:37) This is going to be a short episode, so stick with us. (1:39) But I want to make sure that we hit the point so we can add value.(1:42) If you want to be the best at anything, any one thing, the best version of you in any one thing, there is no such thing as balance. (1:52) Fair. (1:53) If you want to be an 8 out of 10 at something, you're going to have to put 80% of your effort into that thing.(2:02) So by definition, from my perspective, there is never any such thing as balance, because if you want results that lead far higher in one category, you're going to have to invest way more time in that category. (2:19) I'm in the best shape I've been in a while. (2:22) I'm investing an hour a day in the gym.(2:26) Is there anyone who thinks you're obsessed with fitness?

Alan Lazaros

(2:30) Probably. (2:31) What a compliment. (2:32) That's the best.(2:33) I am. (2:34) I am obsessed with it. (2:36) I was on with a client recently.(2:37) She said, what do you mean? (2:39) A lot of people think I'm on steroids. (2:41) And I was like, they'd have to be wildly ignorant to think that.(2:45) Do I know this person? (2:46) Yeah. (2:47) Yeah, yeah.(2:47) She's definitely not. (2:48) It's obvious she's not. (2:50) Yeah, but people don't know.

Kevin Palmieri

(2:51) People thought The Rock wasn't. (2:55) The man's 50 something years old. (2:57) What are we doing here?(2:58) Come on. (2:59) You ever seen the guy who plays Jack Reacher? (3:02) Yeah, yeah, yeah.(3:03) Oh, oh yeah. (3:05) Oh, okay. (3:06) And then he just came out recently.(3:09) He was like, oh yeah, no, I'm on TRT because... (3:11) Oh yeah, okay. (3:12) Just got on it?(3:14) Oh, okay.

Alan Lazaros

(3:14) Just got on it last week.

Kevin Palmieri

(3:15) I know why you're on it, because you were probably allegedly blasting steroids before that and you tanked your testosterone. (3:19) So now you have to be on TRT.

Alan Lazaros

(3:21) Yeah. (3:22) Okay. (3:23) Anyways, my point is, I wanted to make this relevant to the episode.(3:28) There's a mindset motivational clip that I've been watching during my Miles for Mindset and it says, interested people watch obsessed people change the world. (3:39) Now, now, a lot of people, if anyone thinks you're obsessed with fitness, I think that's silly because I don't think you're that obsessed with fitness. (3:47) But I also know that I would have thought that when I wasn't into fitness at all, right?(3:52) So there's levels to everything is my point. (3:55) And of course, they're going to think you're out of balance if they're more balanced. (4:02) So it all depends on the size of your goals.(4:03) That's my thesis, you go. (4:05) I think it depends on the size and the category of your goal.

Kevin Palmieri

(4:10) Why the category? (4:11) Because if, because in a way, like I do think you can, if you want to be in decent shape, have a decent marriage and make enough money to survive, I think you can have balance.

Alan Lazaros

(4:28) Yeah. (4:29) I agree. (4:30) I think you can.(4:31) But decent improves over time. (4:35) Statistically. (4:36) Decent improves or?(4:38) Improves. (4:38) Yeah. (4:38) So a hundred years ago, a decent marriage, like a statistically average marriage was way worse than now.(4:44) Just like an average TV was very worse, you know? (4:47) So are you talking about statistically average?

Kevin Palmieri

(4:50) Yeah. (4:51) Yeah. (4:51) Fair.(4:52) Yeah. (4:52) If you and your partner, let's say you want to make, I don't know. (4:54) I don't know how far $100,000 a year combined goes, especially in the US.(4:58) Like I don't really know how far that would go. (5:01) You'd have better idea than I.

Alan Lazaros

(5:02) I know.

Kevin Palmieri

(5:03) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(5:03) So $100,000 household income in, it depends where in the US, but it's, it's, that's like probably about a little above average.

Kevin Palmieri

(5:14) So let's say that you want to make 90 to $100,000 as a household. (5:18) You work nine to five and not a minute earlier or later. (5:22) Like you have very set careers where there's very little irregularity.(5:28) Jeez, what a tough word. (5:30) And every night you have dinner together with your family. (5:33) Every weekend you go out with your family.(5:35) Like you are dialed in with that. (5:38) You exercise together 30 minutes a day, something like that. (5:40) Nothing crazy.(5:41) Nope. (5:42) I can, I think you can do it. (5:44) I just don't think you're going to have any, I think family is the easiest one, but it requires the most time.(5:53) What do you mean by the easiest one? (5:55) Lowest barrier to entry. (5:56) The lowest barrier to entry and the easiest to be the best at.(6:00) Like you could, I am certain if I was going to have a family, I would have a very, I could be a very good family man. (6:07) Yeah, for sure. (6:09) But one of the reasons I'm not having a family is because I don't have the fucking time to be the type of family man I aspire to be.

Alan Lazaros

(6:15) I also think that this is because, and I know this isn't where you want it to go, but we have to say this. (6:21) I think there's three circles in this Venn diagram. (6:26) And I think yours happens to be really good on one of them that makes that easy.(6:29) So there's personal development, social development, and professional development. (6:33) Your professional development was atrocious. (6:36) It was so embarrassingly bad.(6:38) When I first met you, you're like, I don't even know anyone with a LinkedIn. (6:41) It's like, brother, what the fuck are we doing here? (6:43) Hey, we just got off LinkedIn, motherfucker.(6:45) That's fair. (6:46) That's fair. (6:47) I was righteous.(6:48) You're like, I don't even know another engineer. (6:50) It's like, dude, you need to figure it out. (6:52) But the truth of the matter is, is professional development, personal development, social development, you always were very high in social development.(6:59) So of course you, I know some people that are awful at relationships, dude, like really bad at even friendships. (7:06) They don't even know how to have friends. (7:08) Like you've always, that's come naturally.(7:10) So of course you're going to feel like it's easy to start a family. (7:13) I know some people who do not feel that way at all. (7:15) They don't know how to attract a partner.(7:17) They don't know how to sustain a relationship. (7:18) They don't know how to be a socially. (7:21) That's fair.(7:22) Yeah, so social development.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:24) Yeah, I appreciate that perspective.

Alan Lazaros

(7:25) It's important. (7:27) You and I were very social, dude. (7:29) I didn't realize that.(7:30) But we were like really, really, really. (7:32) We both had tons of friends.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:34) I feel like it's more the category of like, you don't really have to do anything. (7:38) You don't have to go accomplish necessarily. (7:41) Just stay home and be present.(7:43) You don't have a great family.

Alan Lazaros

(7:44) Just be present. (7:46) No, man, you're missing it. (7:47) I've been coaching couples for six years.(7:49) Dude, you're missing it. (7:50) Yeah, you don't just be present. (7:51) I'm off.(7:52) Yeah, you're totally off. (7:53) Dude, some people don't know how to like build friendships and build relationships and have meaningful conversations and build trust and sustain trust and keep promises. (8:01) What do you think the easiest health, wealth, love?(8:03) What's the easiest one? (8:08) Wealth. (8:09) You think that?(8:10) But that's because I'm professionally developed. (8:12) Wealth is by far the fucking easiest. (8:14) For me, for me.

Kevin Palmieri

(8:16) That was the hardest. (8:17) Of course you do. (8:17) You weren't professionally developed.(8:19) Well, this is good. (8:19) This is a good blind spot for me. (8:20) Because in my mind, it's like you just stay home.

Alan Lazaros

(8:23) That's what you want to do anyway. (8:25) Of course you practice that every day, man. (8:27) Of course you're good at it.(8:28) Just like me, like professional development was through the roof, but I needed personal development. (8:32) I'm low-key jealous of that one. (8:34) It's like, I just want to stay home all day and do nothing.(8:36) Be the best.

Kevin Palmieri

(8:38) It's like, yo, you're really minimizing unintentionally. (8:41) But my apologies to anybody who does feel minimized by that. (8:44) That's a blind spot for me.

Alan Lazaros

(8:45) Some people are really bad in the social world, dude. (8:48) Like really bad. (8:49) You can easily network and make friends and build relationships and build trust and be funny.(8:54) Like some people don't even know how to talk to people well. (8:56) They're not effective communicators. (8:58) They don't know how to...(8:58) You know that.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:00) I mean, I'm thinking more like... (9:02) I'm thinking more like you already have the partner. (9:05) Like you're already in a family is my thought.

Alan Lazaros

(9:12) As listening to this, as you're listening to this, you already have a family. (9:15) Okay. (9:16) So they're already really socially developed.(9:18) Then yeah, that's probably easy. (9:19) Yeah, fair.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:21) I'm thinking health, wealth, and love.

Alan Lazaros

(9:22) What about someone who was homeschooled who like didn't know how to make friends and stuff and date? (9:28) Like with all the love that, you know. (9:30) Yeah, with social development, professional development, personal development.(9:35) If social development was really high for you, you can host a party. (9:39) You can attend parties. (9:40) You're funny.(9:40) People like you. (9:41) You know how to make them like you, even if it's inauthentic. (9:44) You can drink.(9:45) You can party. (9:46) You can have a blast. (9:47) You're a blast at a wedding.(9:48) But right, like you and I spent a lot of time. (9:53) Like I realized how rare that is. (9:57) I spent most of my teens and early 20s just developing social skills.(10:03) And I've totally taken them for granted, dude. (10:05) Like I. (10:07) Yeah, obviously.(10:09) Which is fine.

Kevin Palmieri

(10:11) But yeah, no. (10:12) Which one do you think is the hardest? (10:13) I don't know, man.(10:14) I'm all fucked up now. (10:16) I think in my mind, it's like if you want to make money, you got to go out and hunt. (10:20) If you want to get in shape and stay in shape, you got to go take action and do activities.(10:25) I think in my mind, the family piece is just more passive. (10:28) That was my thought. (10:29) It's not, though.(10:30) Not at all. (10:32) Okay.

Alan Lazaros

(10:32) How many times have you said, oh, we're at a barbecue. (10:36) I could fit in anywhere. (10:38) What does that mean?(10:40) It means I went to. (10:41) Everybody loves me. (10:42) I have a blast at every barbecue.

Kevin Palmieri

(10:44) Like it means you're good in the social world. (10:46) Let me tell a story real quick. (10:47) Yeah, I love it.(10:48) Tara and I's family plays in a band. (10:51) They have a band. (10:53) Her cousin and uncle.(10:54) We went to this dive bar, a couple of towns over. (10:58) They never play down here in New Hampshire, so we went and saw them. (11:01) There was a dude.(11:03) I am serious, as you could be. (11:05) He had a shirt on that said, a hot dog looking for a hallway to throw down. (11:10) I was like, oh my God, I could fit in there for sure.(11:14) Get a couple of whiskeys in there. (11:16) I'd be doing karaoke. (11:17) We'd be fine.

Alan Lazaros

(11:19) Don't you see how a lot of people would feel really uncomfortable at a party or something? (11:25) I used to do karaoke.

Kevin Palmieri

(11:27) I used to go to bars, barbecues, every fraternity. (11:30) I'm off. (11:30) I'm off on that.(11:31) I don't know. (11:31) I was trying to think of like. (11:33) What is balance to you?(11:35) Because I got to jump in a second. (11:37) Balance is. (11:38) Balance is false.(11:39) False. (11:40) Juggling priorities. (11:42) And when you are doing a priority, you give the priority as much of your time and energy as humanly possible.(11:48) When I'm with Taryn, I'm with Taryn. (11:50) I don't have my phone. (11:51) When I'm here, I'm not with Taryn.(11:54) The door's shut. (11:55) When I'm at the gym, I'm by myself. (11:58) No phone.(11:59) I'm doing me. (12:00) Nice. (12:00) That.(12:01) Yeah, that's good.

Alan Lazaros

(12:02) It's really good. (12:02) And they all connect. (12:04) Yeah, they do.(12:05) That's why it's so weird when you said at the beginning, if you have level 10 goals in one thing, you're not going to have balance. (12:12) It's true. (12:13) However, I've always been contemplating.

Kevin Palmieri

(12:16) Best of both worlds.

Alan Lazaros

(12:17) They feed each other. (12:18) They feed each other. (12:19) So if my relationship with Emilia is strong and I'm good in the social world and the professional world and the personal development side, like you really can be better in each thing.(12:34) So that maybe this is a to be continued because I know we got to go. (12:36) Yeah, let's do a to be continued because you're better at it, but it's less of it. (12:41) When I coach.(12:42) Yeah, exactly. (12:42) When I coach all different people from all over the world, I'm now sizing up when I met you. (12:49) Social development was high.(12:51) Personal development was getting there. (12:53) Professional development was awful. (12:55) You didn't know shit about business, didn't know anything about success or corporations or the economy.(13:01) So you were, you had two thirds of the equation and the one that you wanted most was money and you needed to come up in that one. (13:09) So everyone's that way. (13:10) We all have three Venn diagram, personal development, professional development, social development, and those are the biggest three.(13:18) I think health, wealth and love. (13:20) Personal development is health. (13:22) Love is social development, and then wealth is professional development.(13:25) So you can frame it however you want, but you do actually need to have all three, I think.

Kevin Palmieri

(13:30) I agree. (13:30) I agree. (13:30) We're going to do part two.(13:31) As always, we love you. (13:32) We appreciate you. (13:33) Grateful for each and every one of you.(13:34) If you are as committed as you say you are, it's getting to the next level. (13:36) Make sure you tune in tomorrow because we will be here every single day to help you get there. (13:39) Keep leveling up to reach your full potential.(13:42) Next Level Nation. (13:43) Thanks for joining us for another episode of Next Level University. (13:47) We love connecting with the Next Level family.

Alan Lazaros

(13:50) We mean it when we say family. (13:52) If you ever need anything, please reach out to us directly. (13:55) Everything you need to get ahold of us is in the show notes.

Kevin Palmieri

(13:59) Thank you again, and we will talk to you tomorrow.