I think that the best advice I ever heard from anyone regarding work/life balance was from an old marine who was going back to school when I was in college. He

I think that the best advice I ever heard from anyone regarding work/life balance was from an old marine who was going back to school when I was in college. He told me that you should work like an old hunting dog. You should lay around sleeping on the porch 99% of the time, but when the hunt is on your ears should perk up and you should amaze everyone by how much energy you have. I think the point is to work your ass off when it really matters and avoid doing the inane minutiae that takes up 99% of everyone's lives. I think startups are the future because they avoid a lot more of the busy work that large companies create (I think Paul Graham's best essay covers that point.)