Paul Milis

Paul Milis
posted in mentor circle: Charlotte City Circle

Feb 12, 2026 at 10:25

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the balance between career and personal life. I work in tech, and over the past year my responsibilities have grown fast. On one hand, I’m proud of the progress. On the other, I catch myself checking Slack during dinner or answering emails late at night. A few weeks ago my sister pointed out that I seemed “physically present but mentally at work” during a family weekend. That hit me. I don’t want to lose momentum in my career, especially in such a competitive field, but I also don’t want to burn out or miss important moments. How do you manage that balance without feeling like you’re constantly choosing one over the other?

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  • Jacky Benson

    Jacky Benson

    Feb 12, 2026 at 12:08

    Reading this thread made me reflect on how different everyone’s rhythm is. Some people thrive on intense work phases and then slow down later, others need steady routines. I’ve noticed that even small habits, like turning off notifications for an hour or taking a walk after work, can shift your mindset. Life doesn’t always split neatly into “career” and “personal,” especially in tech where things move fast. Maybe the key is adjusting the balance as seasons change, instead of trying to find one perfect formula forever.
  • Lusia Grays

    Lusia Grays

    Feb 12, 2026 at 11:17

    I totally get what you’re describing. I went through something similar when I started diving deeper into AI projects. It’s exciting, especially with how fast everything is moving. What helped me was setting clearer boundaries and also being intentional about growth. I found some practical advice in articles like https://www.womentech.net/breaking-ai-ml-tips-tech-savvy-women-2025 — not in a “do more” way, but in a smarter way. It reminded me that building skills doesn’t mean sacrificing your whole life. I now block out time for focused work and protect my evenings unless it’s urgent. It’s not perfect, but it reduced that constant mental pressure. Sometimes balance is less about equal hours and more about being present wherever you are.

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