I gave this talk initially at Open Source Bridge 2016 and later presented a condensed version at DonutJS. The talk examines the pressure in the tech industry to participate in work-related extracurriculars like side projects and meetups. I analyze where these expectations come from, what they’re actually getting at, and talk about ideas for progressing in our careers without losing sight of the things in life that make us happy outside of work.

As is the case for most of my talks I became interested in this topic because it was something I was struggling with and wanted to learn more about. I enjoyed my job as a programmer but often felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of things I wanted to learn both for fun and for my career development. Being dominated by “shoulds” – I should learn Redux, I should attend more meetups, I should start a side-project – was distracting and impeded my ability to appreciate my accomplishments, enjoy my hobbies, and recharge. Ultimately I found a combination of shifting my perspective, setting boundaries, and making use of my time at work helped me achieve a healthier (and more compassionate!) work-life balance. I’ve by no means perfected this balance, but it’s a daily practice.