I'd like to talk about my uncle Farhan, who's an accountant in Islamabad and works for a large construction company. He's forty-eight and has three children.
Accounting is famous for long hours, especially at the end of the financial year, and many of his colleagues stay in the office until ten or eleven. But my uncle somehow manages to have a life outside work as well. He arrives at the office at eight, which is earlier than most people, and he works very efficiently. He turns his phone notifications off for two hours every morning so he can concentrate. Then he leaves at six on most days. He's very strict about weekends: Saturday is for family, and on Sunday mornings he plays cricket with a group of friends in a local park.
During the busiest months he does work longer hours, but he tells his family in advance and plans something special for when it's over, like a trip to the hills.
I think his balance is good for several reasons. Firstly, he's clearly healthier and calmer than many people I know with similar jobs. He sleeps properly and rarely gets ill. Secondly, his relationship with his children is very close; they actually talk to him about their problems, which isn't common in many families. And thirdly, he's successful at work, which proves that leaving at six doesn't mean you're not committed. He was promoted to head of department last year. When I started my first job in a bank, I asked him for advice, and he said, "If you can't finish it in nine hours, the problem isn't the hours." I try to remember that.