--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So there's no such thing as work-life…" description: "\"So there's no such thing as work-life balance. There's work, and there's life, and there's no balance.\" — Sheryl Sandberg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f7/sheryl-sandberg-439_balance_so-there-s-no-such-thing-as-work-life-ba_51178.png" --- # So there's no such thing as work-life balance. There's… ![“So there's no such thing as work-life balance. There's work, and there's life, and there's no balance.” quote by Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f7/sheryl-sandberg-439_balance_so-there-s-no-such-thing-as-work-life-ba_51178.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f7/sheryl-sandberg-439_balance_so-there-s-no-such-thing-as-work-life-ba_51178.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f7/sheryl-sandberg-439_balance_so-there-s-no-such-thing-as-work-life-ba_51178.png) > “So there's no such thing as work-life balance. There's work, and there's life, and there's no balance.” [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that the concept of balancing work and personal life is a myth; work and life are distinct realms that cannot be perfectly equilibrated. **In simple terms:** Work and life are separate, not balanced. Key Takeaway Balance is an illusion. Themes work-life integration realism personal boundaries productivity mindset Mood pragmatic candid inspirational Type advice observation When to use this quote - career planning - parenting - entrepreneurship - remote work - career transition Key Concepts time management expectations well‑being Practical Applications - career coaching - organizational policy design Questions to Reflect On - How does viewing work and life as separate affect stress? - What strategies can create harmony without forcing balance? A Different Perspective Some argue that a flexible integration of work and life can be achieved, challenging the notion of total separation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-balance/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-life/) [Work life balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-life-balance/) [Work-Life Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-life-balance-2/) ## Related quotes > [I walk out of this office every day at 5:30 so I'm home for dinner with my kids at 6, and interestingly, I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/i-walk-out-of-this-office-every-day-at-5-30-so-i-m-home-for-dinner/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [There is no such thing as work-life balance. There is work, there is life, and there is no balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/there-is-no-such-thing-as-work-life-balance-there-is-work-there-is/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [There's no such thing as work-life balance. There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/there-s-no-such-thing-as-work-life-balance-there-are-work-life/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [Framing the issue of work-life balance - as if the two were dramatically opposed - practically ensures work will lose out. Who would ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/framing-the-issue-of-work-life-balance-as-if-the-two-were/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [The phrase "work-life balance" tells us that people think that work is the opposite of life. We should be talking about life-life balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-dixon/the-phrase-work-life-balance-tells-us-that-people-think-that-work-is/) [Patrick Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-dixon/) > [Startups are not the best choice for work-life balance, and that's sort of just the sad reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/startups-are-not-the-best-choice-for-work-life-balance-and-that-s/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [We aren't defined by our work. People think if you over-identify with your work, then that must mean you're giving over too much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-gira-grant/we-aren-t-defined-by-our-work-people-think-if-you-over-identify-with/) [Melissa Gira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-gira-grant/) > [It is not about finding a work-life balance, but, rather, it's about work-life integration. I've learned to integrate my work and life so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/it-is-not-about-finding-a-work-life-balance-but-rather-it-s-about/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [“The concept of “work-life balance” is a fleeting idea for a Bombshell. Instead, a focus on work-life success—where her time and energy shifts based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hurdle/the-concept-of-work-life-balance-is-a-fleeting-idea-for-a-bombshell/) [Amber Hurdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hurdle/) > [To have someone who never makes a mistake, never finds her personal life in disarray, never worries about work-life balance? I think that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/to-have-someone-who-never-makes-a-mistake-never-finds-her-personal/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [The work-life balance is a harsh reality for so many women, who are forced every day to make impossible choices. Do they take their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/the-work-life-balance-is-a-harsh-reality-for-so-many-women-who-are/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [Don't have work-life balance - at least in the sense of trying to escape from work so you can have a life. Work should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-tapscott/don-t-have-work-life-balance-at-least-in-the-sense-of-trying-to/) [Don Tapscott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-tapscott/) > [Wrestling with work-life balance is a luxury when working to support a family is a necessity rather than a choice. I think that focus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willow-bay/wrestling-with-work-life-balance-is-a-luxury-when-working-to-support/) [Willow Bay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willow-bay/) > [“There is no work-life balance. We have one life. What's most important is that you be awake for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-marturano/there-is-no-work-life-balance-we-have-one-life-what-s-most-important/) Janice Marturano > [When I think about work-life balance, I don't imagine it as a perfect day where I got to spend the exact right amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-park/when-i-think-about-work-life-balance-i-don-t-imagine-it-as-a-perfect/) [Jane Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-park/) ## More by Sheryl Sandberg > [“Still, my argument was that if she was going to work for the next 30 years, what difference does "going back" 4 years really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/still-my-argument-was-that-if-she-was-going-to-work-for-the-next-30/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“Reverend Veronica Goines sums this up as, “Peace is joy at rest, and joy is peace on its feet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/reverend-veronica-goines-sums-this-up-as-peace-is-joy-at-rest-and-joy/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [ “\[Eric Schmidt\] explained that only one criterion that mattered when picking a job- fat growth. When companies grow quickly, there are more things to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/eric-schmidt-explained-that-only-one-criterion-that-mattered-when/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [When I went to college, as much as my parents emphasized academic achievement, they emphasized marriage even more. They told me that the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/when-i-went-to-college-as-much-as-my-parents-emphasized-academic/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Go to a playground: Little girls get called 'bossy' all the time, a word that's almost never used for boys. 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Men are continually applauded for being ambitious and powerful and successful, but women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/aggressive-and-hard-charging-women-violate-unwritten-rules-about/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“When I wrote Lean In, some people argued that I did not spend enough time writing about the difficulties women face when they don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/when-i-wrote-lean-in-some-people-argued-that-i-did-not-spend-enough/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“Survivor guilt is a thief of joy—yet another secondary loss from death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/survivor-guilt-is-a-thief-of-joy-yet-another-secondary-loss-from-death/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [I am a bigger-picture manager because I've lived through something that's a big picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/i-am-a-bigger-picture-manager-because-i-ve-lived-through-something/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Presenting leadership as a list of carefully defined qualities (like strategic, analytical, and performance-ori ented) no longer holds. Instead, true leadership stems from individuality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/presenting-leadership-as-a-list-of-carefully-defined-qualities-like/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Men can comfortably claim credit for what they do as long as they don't veer into arrogance. 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There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [she got a reputation for an easy smile and a sharp tongue, and using one to balance the other, she seemed friendly but distant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/she-got-a-reputation-for-an-easy-smile-and-a-sharp-tongue-and-using/) [Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/) > [Life's unfairness is not irrevocable; we can help balance the scales for others, if not always for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/life-s-unfairness-is-not-irrevocable-we-can-help-balance-the-scales/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [“We don't need to strive towards balance, we rather need to work on the obstacles that are preventing the natural flow of balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-alebraheem/we-don-t-need-to-strive-towards-balance-we-rather-need-to-work-on-the/) [A.A. Alebraheem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-alebraheem/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [Once you've gotten your money in balance, you know how much you have to spend on things that are just fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/once-you-ve-gotten-your-money-in-balance-you-know-how-much-you-have/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I never understood how much running changes your life. I'm now obsessed. When not trying to beat my personal best, I'm talking to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-never-understood-how-much-running-changes-your-life-i-m-now/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Whatever needed to be done, I need to know how to do it just as well as my wife. You know, for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/whatever-needed-to-be-done-i-need-to-know-how-to-do-it-just-as-well/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I don't think my parents would have let me go straight into acting full time when I was 12. I do like to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-don-t-think-my-parents-would-have-let-me-go-straight-into-acting/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [When it comes down to music, I have no balance. I am 100 percent. It is like full throttle. Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "So there's no such thing as work-life balance. 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