How Gopi Disappeared Into His Laptop in Mexico

This post will probably be something you have never seen before: The same “media” outlet presenting a different perspective.

The truth is that basically nothing in life is black and white. There is nuance to everything.

I just finished reading Gopi’s newsletter, and I really liked the content but I have to say that I don’t fully agree. Here’s why:

I was in Mexico with Gopi. I saw the whole Gopi getting sucked into a parallel universe while working happen live. He would literally not respond when I called his name. And he spent a couple days of our trip completely focused on work, doing nothing else. Other times, there were weeks where he hardly opened his laptop at all.

What about me?

I started the trip not working enough, then I worked too much, then I concluded the trip finding a decent balance, working a couple hours in the morning, then going out to explore and live life.

My biggest learnings from all this are these 2 things:

1. Everyone’s brain is wired differently. When Gopi starts a new project, even his basic human needs become second priority. My brain is wired more towards balance, finding a structure and optimizing it. Getting everything done as best as possible, all at once. Do I always manage? Hell no, of course I don’t, but the more experienced I get, the better I can prioritize and cut out the noise.

2. Balance has different time scales. Let me explain. For me, balance means that I go to the gym in the morning, then do some work and maybe attend a lecture, and then do more work in the afternoon and take the evening to spend time with friends and facetime my girlfriend. The way I observe Gopi’s balance, for example, is 2 months of exclusively traveling, followed by 2 months of exclusively working. It’s balance, but over different time scales.

So, is balance a lie that some influencers have planted into our heads?

Me personally, I don’t think so. I just think that everyone lives balance differently and you have to adapt it to yourself and your circumstances as best as possible.

And once again, I also still struggle a lot with this elusive balance. I’m trying to figure out a system that works for myself and fits with my values and lifestyle.

I’m really interested to learn how you guys balance everything. If you feel like you need guidance on this, we can provide you with some practical tips! Otherwise, let us know if you have any life-saving tips on how to keep everything in your life running smoothly.