Remember, no one and I mean no one will remember how great a worker you were. How good a job you did on that large project. Your kids will always remember that you weren't there.

This was my email, and I was disappointed that the Ramsey team altered my question. I want to respond since I felt that a lot of the context was removed from my inquiry and to raise awareness that this feeling could be shared by other listeners sending emails. The question had nothing to do about work-life balance. Instead, in my email, I express how I felt stuck in a business/career that "chips" away at my soul because I feel unfulfilled despite making good money with my IT business. When I am "free," I need to put extra effort into being there mentally for my family even though I work hard for them and have set us up in a good position with no debt. I want to explore other business opportunities, but I have difficulty overcoming the fear of change that could put my family at risk. In the email, I mention picking my son up from school as a catalyst for feeling guilty that I have been checked out mentally due to my career. So the dilemma I am in is that I know I am doing what is right for my family and ensuring their happiness. Still, at the same time, I crave a change in my life to feel fulfilled professionally and restore my mental presence for my family.

This is the first time I’ve watched and not agreed. I work from home now and earn more than I did working 60 hour weeks doing two jobs! I prioritised my family and it’s the best thing I ever did. It can work.

Be very wary of any company that lays a guilt trip on you for taking time off, especially when family emergency's arise. Run Forrest, Run

Honestly this is really sad. Work-life balance IS achievable. Establish boundaries. Create a plan. Make it happen.

There is work-life balance. It almost always means putting limits on the work side. David and John both have/had stay at home wives so I feel like they have the luxury of working ridiculous hours. Dave is from another generation. Women work now more often than not and men need to participate more in the running of the household/childcare.

I started working from home and took a paycut to be more with my kids and it was the best decision I’ve made. $ is not everything.

Never ever ever put a company you don't own ahead of your family, never. Your employer is NOT family.

Work/life balance is super important to me. I give my company a solid 40 hours per week, get fairly compensated for it, and get to spend a ton of time with wife and young children. I could make more $$ if I put in more hours but what I make suffices... and I know this time with my children is precious and something that I will never get back.

I respect Dave’s financial expertise but find it bothersome how little he listens to the people that come to him for counsel. The foundational concept to all of his feedback is that people are stupid and/or lazy. While that is the case for a lot of people in this world, obviously the callers are interested and willing to better themselves and do the work to make wise decisions. The line at 2:25, “I don’t want to work much so I can play with my kid” is a horribly condescending interpretation of the caller’s dilemma. He clearly is working hard to provide for his kid but feels guilty for his absence. Not cool, Dave. 🤦🏻‍♀️

My son was born when my husband were over 40 we decided that I would work from home part time until our son could go to preschool. I had comments from co-workers that I was "lucky" to be able to do that. I always said luck had nothing to do with it. Being out of debt, living below our means, both partners being gainfully employed - these all factors that made it possible for us to adjust when we had a late in life surprise. We also compromised on the type of work we did so that we could both be actively involved in our son's activities. No regrets here.

Don’t ask rich people about work/ life balance. My dad made 200-300k a year as a consultant when I was growing up. He flew away on Monday and came back on Friday (most weeks, sometimes he worked weekends too). No amount of toys, bikes, nice clothes, nice houses, or anything else made up for me not having a dad. I’m almost 30 and I’m still messed up and bitter over my childhood. There are plenty of jobs out there that pay more than enough for your family to be comfortable but will allow you to be in their lives.

Work is simply a means to an end. Rarely an end itself. If my work doesn’t serve to benefit my home life and it actually ends up hurting my home life, then it’s time to make changes. No job or employer is entitled to my labor, especially if they don’t meet my expectations. That simple

Bottom line: you do what you have to do to provide for your family. Work / life balance is where you place your priorities. Do you take that promotion, even though it entails considerable travel which will take you away from your young children, or do you turn it down so that you can be at home with them every night. Maybe that promotion means being able to move to a nicer neighborhood with better schools. Priorities, decisions, adulting is tough....

Working from home does not mean working part time 🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️🤦🏼‍♂️ maybe hire people you trust, Ramsey. Just because you might be lazy working at home, doesn’t mean everyone is.

Work life ballance is about being able to go to an event outside of work with your family and or friends a couple times a week without being exhausted so you don't get burned out.

Yes, your son may not be as thrilled to see you if you are there for him a lot more often. But children should be able to take the parental presence for granted. You should not be mostly a stranger to him. He needs your guidance while he is learning to be an adult, and you shortchange that to your later regret. I have been present for a lot of terminal illnesses and deaths, and it is true that people have regrets that they emphasized the wrong things in life.

My parents worked for money and sacrificed my childhood. Problem with that is, once they made millions, they had no real connection to their children. Today we don’t do Christmas as a family and the siblings can not get along. The parents spend their relaxing time with friends and their grandkids are not important to their life.

Since when does working from home mean working part time?

As a child of parents who owned businesses and worked 70 hours weeks my whole life, I would like to say although it did afford us a nice house and nice cars, I would have preferred having my parents around more in my life growing up, I feel like our relationship was never close because they were like strangers since I hardly saw them. They are now retired and have free time but I travel for work so I don't see them that often now. Ask what's more important, time with your kids or having nice material things. I did go to college on a full scholarship so I really did not need the money for college either.

My husband & I own a business. The business consumed our lives until we finally decided we would go to work & when we closed the doors- we went home & never mention the business until the next morning. It took us awhile & we had to catch ourselves at the beginning but now it’s just a switch that we have learned to switch off & on. There’s more to life than running your business.

Work life balance DOES exist. It is a spectrum. There is good WLB and bad WLB. It is simply a comparison of time spent working against time not spent working. This man is really asking “Is it worth it to find something else that will allow me to prioritize spending more time with my family?” This guy isn’t asking “is it ok to stop working hard?” He’s not looking for an easy way out of his responsibilities, he is reassessing what matters in his life. I find that Dave often paints this picture that “if you don’t work hard, you are a lazy.” But it’s not always about working hard, sometimes it’s about working “SMART”. For example, finding ways to make a good income but still having more free time. If this caller was given a multimillion offer for his company, or a lucrative job in consulting that pays twice as much but has him working 20 hours less a week, would he be lazy for taking those opportunities??? I implore all of you listeners to understand that life is way more nuanced than the advice in this video explains. Do what works best for you!

this is so true. My dad was gone working like 5am-9pm for two years in my early childhood.. I only ever saw him on weekends. That said, putting in the work paid off for him/us

You can't expect people with an obvious and blatant bias toward mgmt and against workers to give a decent answer to this question.

I completely disagree with the team on this one. Yes, you can achieve a work-life balance, especially if you are not a small business owner. Clock out when the day is over. Don't bring your work home. Make do with less. Will you be first in line for promotions? Maybe not. But you won't regret carving out time for the family.

You have to understand Dave is a classic baby boomer who knows nothing but work. The guy is worth millions yet he still works. This is sad to say but Dave will die a very rich guy and never truly understand what else there is in life. Look, I completely agree with his financial advise but if Dave has a blind spot this is certainly it.

I became a father as my career was becoming more demanding and started to pay a lot better. I know the stress of that push/pull. To the caller: hang in there, keep your business moving forward and just make family time where you can. Consider the alternative of having a boss that's not you. You're in a good position, don't be too quick to give it up. If you have to switch it up for the sake of your family, don't think twice.

It sounds like he could realistically hire an additional hand to help take over some of his responsibilities and also take on work that could improve their sales/production/efficiency. We don’t know what he pays himself in the equation or what roles he fills, but it appears there is margin for an additional hand to smooth out the operation and give him some additional time to spend with his family.

I feel like the Ramsey definition of work life balance is completely different than what the rest of us are thinking...

Don't work extra to pay for stuff you don't need. Work life balance is possible for those who don't desire an extreme lifestyle.

For those of us that are Christians, we have to remember that one day God will take into account all that we have done during our time on earth...and I'm pretty sure that climbing the corporate ladder isn't on the top of the list...instead we should remember to love and serve Him and others around us.

Life is never easy unless you live significantly below what you make. I have made from 7.25/hr to 40/hr. Everywhere between there was no work life balance. When i didnt make squat i worked 60hrs minimum and was always exhausted due to so many hours working. Now year i may make 40/hr but i still work 7-10 hr days. It takes me an hour and a half of driving each day. So essentially i work 50hrs(including driving) to pay for my house, car and living cost. And i by all means do not live a lavish lifestyle but i also know i need to save for home repairs, new cars when they die, retirement funding. Im just saying you have to sacrifice while you are young so you can realistically retire.

Yes. Set down boundaries. Be okay with not being rich. Live simply. God first. Family second. Job third.

Dave’s advice on many things is imperfect but better than no advice. His advice here simply couldn’t be more wrong.

Money is not everything You can always make money but you can’t never get time back with your family Life is short enjoy it!!! You Never know when it’s your time to go enjoy!!!!!!!!

I always feel guilty about working as much as I do but I’d also feel guilty with the alternative if I don’t. Unfortunately that’s the world we live in today. It’s expensive to live comfortably. Everybody is not fortunate enough to work “banker hours” and have enough money to enjoy life to the fullest. My only regret would be if my children resented me when they get older. I pray they understand daddy had to do what daddy had to do for them to be able to live/have a better life. I hope they understand the sacrifices I’m currently making.

Once I retired, the work-life balance ratio improved!

It’s up to us to set boundaries. Frequently we put a lot pressure on ourselves due to strong work ethic. If company truly cares for you and your well being they will be clear about this topic and what their expectations are.

... they're seasons...that got me. I needed that. Thank you

I changed my schedule so I can make time for my kids. I work 40 hours, 1a-9a. I see the older children off to school and I spend time with them after school; I walk my 4y/o to preschool a bit later and get to spend time with the baby. My wife has the same schedule as my kids school schedule. I sleep 5 1/2 hours 7p-12:30a. It's definitely doable.

To me the whole point of being frugal is to be home more with the kiddos. I could work more hours and have a nicer house, nicer cars, more stuff, fancier vacations, all of it. If you can pay your bills and save enough for retirement, it’s ok to cut back. There is no prize at the end of life because you worked extra. You will be just as dead as everyone else. Some people really value luxuries and would rather have that than more family time. Some people would skip the luxuries to have more family time. Either choice is okay but you get to pick which one. I kinda disagree with Dave here. Why is mediocracy the end of the world? Life doesn’t have to be flashy to be wonderful.

The thing with being in IT consulting is your wired into your phone and laptop 24 hrs that can get you stressed...you need to keep sometime everyday for your time on calendar ...block your calendar for family time EVERYDAY that way you will feel less stressed out...

I am so glad im taking work slow to view things the right way. I have had a great work life balance. I work then live balance. Jons ramblings is absurd. My gf loves how i limit my work to see them and her family. Everyone respects my boundaries. If my boss told me to work more i leave yesterday. Its so toxic, damaging to your mental health, your family. Money is not the problem . Its family time. Call me whatever. I will not work more. Ill go and find more money for 8 hrs.

100% love the answer to this question! Starting my own real estate business and wanting to do the best I can for my children’s children, is super motivating so it makes scheduling the most important aspect. There is balance in the chaos 🙏🏻 Thank you Dave and Dr. John for your continued support and guidance for all of us!

When you are on your death bed, and I am a Registered Nurse in Trauma- I’ve seen MANY. You won’t be wishing you’d made more money, or that you’d been more devoted to your company by sacrificing time with your Loved Ones.

Great topic..🎉 I needed this

Ask two very successful people about work life balance and you may not get the best answer. For me personally yes it does exist. Finding the right career with the right company helps. 32 hour work week and I feel very balanced

I respectfully disagree with you Mr. Ramsey.

I spend more time with my family because i dont have payments and no longer chasing promotions and raises. House about to be paid off this year..... Manage your money right and you can dictate your schedule folks.

This is how people get shocked when their kid comes out as trans at 13.

Very personal question… priorities and balance are different for each one… wrong decisions can cost a lot

You work to live, you don't live to work Dave!

You can create your own future. If a 'work life balance' is what you genuinely want to create, you can create it.

Well a lot of companies are paying weeks for husbands to stay home after their kid is born. Dave...

I think only in some European countries, true work-life balance can be seen.

Love when Papa tells his back in the day stories. He's warming up for some family table Thanksgiving talks. 😃

in short no everything revolves around a carreer 40+ hours a week at least maybe evenings and weekends it’s modern day slavery just disguised as normal society

Me, working 80 hours a week: No

Great video !!

True its a season...i did not get. I missed out on great opportunity. Lost my job. Lost the respect of my family went into depression and suicidal....i regret every inch of the decesion of leaving on time...

Ramsey is so far off the mark. Family first, your job will never love you back.

Big reason I learned this year is there’s a price and cost for everything so choose what you’re willing to pay the price for.

So silly to frame it as blaming the son. No, some people don't base their entire meaning around a paycheck. The paycheck is a means to an end.

There are seasons to it for most careers. Feast or famine. So take advantage of the "slow times" so that when you have to burn the midnight oil, you will not burn yourself out.

I do think Dr delony was right on the money with this lady wanted to change career paths! And she's right to do so.

Nobody's saying they don't want to work much, they just don't want to wrap their entire lives around their job.

Dave this is also the first time I do not agree with you as well. You didn’t take 12 weeks off when your kids were born? I took 16 weeks off and SO thankful I had that opportunity to bond with my baby. I’m sure men would love that opportunity as well. People are burning out and you wonder why people are going through mental dilemmas. I hope you change your mindset. Especially to those of us who work hard 40+ hours a week

My work life balance is that i work from 8-430 and i dont thibk about work 1 second after 430pm. Also, if something is going in at home, I'll always worry about that first.

I normally love the advice on this show but this is so wrong it really bothered. The cocky kid there is suggesting there is no "balance" and caller should just work hard to provide opportunities later on in life, is how I heard it and in my experience the exact opposite is true. Too many people decide to sacrifice their family time for work for a distant future but the problem is that future time never comes. There are always more bills. There is always more work. And by the time you realize it the kids are grown up and you have missed their childhood, and often time the kids will resent you for it. Never sacrifice time for money. Money you can always get back, time is gone forever. This is a no brainer. Spend as much time with your kids as possible WHILE THEY ARE STILL YOUNG! "kids don't need more toys, they need more TIME"

Cat's in the Cradle. We make our choices, and live with the outcomes. Which outcome you want is up to you.

Dave, buddy, just because somebody doesn’t work as many hours as you think they should, doesn’t mean they’re “MeDiOcRe”

Isn’t that still balance in a sense? Balance in the micro (daily/weekly) vs balance in the macro (bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly). My job kind of goes in cycles depending on if I’m managing one or more projects, vs managing a process in what I’ll call the “off season.” Some months and quarters are brutal and some are borderline boring. It’s still work life balance, just at a different scale.

At 35 i work alot of 60+ hr wks and struggle to balance my work / life so that i dont have to worry about money later in life

Never take work life balance advice from a company that rejects unions.

When I'm off the clock. I'm not answering any work emails or calls.

if it helps my uncle worked every single day for most of his life and all of mine and yet he was more involved in my life then family members who had the weekends off or more flexibility. I understood we couldn't spend all the time in the world together but our relationship never suffered because he always asked how I was doing and paid attention to what I was saying. of course things you can't always do is going to make them happy, but if you have a parent who always picks you up from school or even work, trust me suddenly it's not always comforting. you need to go through those periods of not seeing someone all the time to know what you mean to each other. I know it's so backwards but life is built on if you want this you have to give up what would make you have it in order to have it for a lifetime instead of just today

How can anyone apply for a job at Ramsey Solutions having seen this video?

I think this needs again the context of his business versus working for someone. Working harder for your own business typically means more money for you and better opportunities. But don't kill yourself for an employer that doesn't care about you. Use your PTO and sick days. If they don't respect that then work for yourself or find another job.

I went all in with my career in software consulting but I mismanaged my career and ended up burning out.

I'm an autosexual and all my colleagues are straight my boss refuses to recognize I'd like to have a romantic night out sometimes too.

You made $135k AFTER paying your debt and salary. Anyone should be able to survive on much less. Lead a simple life and control your expenses. Live within your means. The reason you should go into business for yourself is to HAVE a work life balance. These guys will have you making hundreds of thousands of dollars, driving a 30year old car and eating beans and rice saving so you can keel over from a heart attack at 50 and enjoy nothing.

So because money and success is more important to Dave than spending quality time with his kids when they were little, it is wrong for another father to prioritize their family. I took a job making less money, we are financially stable, and it barely impacted our financial world. You know what I do, I pick my son up every day from school, I drop him off every day at school, I tuck him in every night. You can have a career, and be successful, and wanting to be with your kids does not make you mediocre in your career

It is 100% achievable!

As long as ur happy, either way works. Sacrifice goes both ways. Ur never going to have it all

Normalising working 60 hour a week is horrible. Really not fair on anyone

Dave is a savage 🤣🤣, “You’re dogs happy seeing you every night”

I disagree with some of what is said. To be fair, this is a difficult question to answer for someone else, especially with a lot of information missing. Need to know how many hours he is putting in and his family’s financial situation. How much control does he have over WHEN he puts it hose hours in. This are all very important factors in measuring what benefits your family the most. To me it’s not really work life balance that’s important. It’s more like financial and mental/emotional/family (can’t think of one word that encompasses all) health

What story did they hear? It sounded like he was burnt out and was heading down the workaholic path. I think this worked out so well for the hosts because nobody wants them at home lol.

I work 10 hours a week making 80k annually with full paid house and enjoy the family time. But most of the time I have nothing to do 😂

I'm all for a hard day's work. However, one of the problems in the US is the emphasis on "hustle culture". Americans don't rank too highly regarding how happy its citizens are by country. Perhaps part of that has to do with the workaholic nature of our culture, and the huge imbalances that result.

How many Millionaires questioned said they became millionaires by prioritizing a healthy work life balance? Now THATS a great question! My opinion: Childhood is priceless. You can still slow cook a fantastic meal. Turn up the stove when your babies are looking to move out.

I agree with them. If you have financial goals to reach then you’re probably going to work more and your personal life is going to suffer. There’s only 24 hours in a day and most of those hours are spent on work anyways. I agree that there are seasons but I don’t think true work life “balance” can be achieved. My mom owns a small business and as much as she tries the business is always going to be a part of her life and ours. There is no balance especially when you are a business owner.

I have to disagree. Work, life balance is very possible, of course you have a problem with that when you think work from home is part-time. Which if you look at the research actually yields better results and wait for it, better work life balance.

Luckily I'm blessed with the drive to work. If I have time off I feel wierd.

6:42 Thank you!

This might be a western work culture idea. People are working for more, more. In Sweden, I see people generally do things outside of work and different levels of hierarchy get paid similar. I think people seem more relaxed and happy. Because what is to work for? All the houses and cars look the same. Schools and uni is free. Just spend time with community. stop competing with people around you.

Never ask a workaholic for advice about work life balance. Dave Ramsey’s wealth exceeded his needs a long time ago, yet he probably continues to work long hours. If you follow Dave’s advice on getting debt free, you shouldn’t need to work as hard once completed. If you find comfort with having more free time and have the ability to make it work , go for it. If your wealth exceeds your needs and it’s not making you happy, what are you working for?

I take 1 week off. I can take 2. Moving foward i will be taking 2 weeks.

Family important guys

No thanks. Work/life balance means having time to enjoy your personal life. Life isn’t just about working. why make so much money when you can’t even spend it in your free time? Makes no sense. Boomer mentality.