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Treasure in cave guarded by dragon The Dangerous Allure of “Front-Loading Success” A recent Wall Street Journal article stopped me cold. Titled, “‘Work-Life Balance’ Will Keep You Mediocre,” it featured a young college student who claimed to have found the secret formula for success: eliminate balance now, optimize ruthlessly, and “buy freedom later.” “I eliminated work-life balance entirely and just worked,” he wrote. “When you front-load success early, you buy the luxury of choice for the rest of your life.” He went on to describe a path of self-inflicted hardship: sleep deprivation, social isolation, physical decline; all in pursuit of wealth. The ultimate goal? To become a billionaire by 30, then use that fortune to fix global problems like climate change and inequality. To many entrepreneurs, this kind of mindset sounds familiar. It echoes the drive that fuels start-up founders, solo business owners, and dreamers everywhere. Yet beneath its surface lies one of the oldest and most destructive philosophies in human history. The Ancient Melody of the Pied Piper The student’s “formula” is not new. It’s the same melody the Pied Piper played—an alluring tune promising safety and prosperity that ultimately led its followers to ruin. MORE FOR YOU That melody can be summarized in a single line: “Sacrifice what is good now to gain wealth, which will give you more of what you sacrificed later.” At first glance, it seems logical. Isn’t that just delayed gratification? But there’s a fatal flaw. The person you’ll be later is not the same person you are now. The “future you” who’s supposed to enjoy the spoils may no longer value what was sacrificed to get them. It’s the lesson of King Midas, whose golden touch granted his wish but cost him everything that made life worth living. Or of the entrepreneur who wakes up one day with a successful business but no joy, no relationships, and no health left to enjoy it. When Productivity Becomes a Prison As a college professor and financial planner, I recognize the same spark in many of my students, and in my younger self. The drive to maximize every hour, to “grind” toward a future of freedom, is intoxicating. But it is also deeply deceptive. Yes, there’s virtue in discipline, saving, and working hard. But when optimization turns into obsession, when we believe life can be postponed until later, we lose something essential: presence. The early Christian apostle Paul warned his young student, Timothy, of this danger (who was probably the same age as the Wall Street Journal article author): “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare... into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.” (1 Timothy 6:9-10, ESV) Notice: the warning isn’t against money itself, it’s against the desire to be rich. That desire can transform ambition into a siren song that will rule over you. Once wealth becomes the goal, it begins to own you. What the Data Says About Chasing Wealth Modern psychology backs this up. Research by Kathleen Vohs and colleagues (2006) found that even subtle reminders of money make people less empathetic, less generous, and less likely to help others. In a recent study I published in the Financial Planning Review with my colleague, Eugene Chin, (Enete & Chin, 2025), we found that pursuing wealth as an end goal was associated with significantly lower well-being and diminished relational satisfaction. In other words, when we chase wealth for its own sake, we may achieve financial independence, but emotional bankruptcy. For small business owners, this has practical consequences. The more you measure success solely in terms of profit or valuation, the more disconnected you become from the purpose that gave your business meaning in the first place. When money becomes the scoreboard instead of the byproduct of service, your business—and your soul—begin to wither. Relationships Are Time, Too John Swinton, in his insightful book, Friend of Time, argues that relationships are time, just as money is time. Every hour spent chasing income is an hour not spent nurturing connection. The tragedy is that relationships—family, friendship, community—are what sustain us through the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. When we neglect them, we not only lose support and perspective, but we also undermine the very foundation of long-term success. Here’s the paradox: building strong relationships often leads to more authentic, profitable, and enduring enterprises. When people trust you, when they feel seen and served, they become the engine of your growth. The Freedom Fallacy Many entrepreneurs convince themselves that if they just grind hard enough now, they’ll “buy back” their time later. But freedom isn’t a purchase you make in your 40s or 50s. It’s a practice you cultivate daily. Freedom is saying no to toxic clients who violate your values. Freedom is ending the workday at a reasonable hour to be fully present at home. Freedom is structuring your business to serve your life, not the other way around. The pursuit of balance doesn’t make you mediocre. It moves you more towards wholeness as you discover who you are in relation to your relationships. And wholeness—not wealth—is the foundation of genuine success. A Better Definition of Success Let’s be clear: there’s nothing wrong with ambition, excellence, or building wealth. But these should serve something greater: people, purpose, and stewardship. Now, and not later. The Wall Street Journal student believes his sacrifices now will earn him “decades of choice later.” But history, psychology, and faith all tell the same story: that deal never works. The more you pursue wealth to get a vague sense of freedom later, the more you will serve wealth as a master, who demands that we sacrifice our relationships to get it, and as we do this, we will change as a person. Once we get the wealth, that wicked master will ensure that we have no more taste for dumb and messy people who get in the way of our hoard of gold. The way forward is not to abandon hard work or ambition, but to re-anchor to love, integrity, and community. Because in the end, no balance sheet can measure the things that matter most. The best businesses—and the best lives—are built not on optimization, but on wisdom. So, if you’re building something today, remember this: Wealth that naturally accrues as you love others exceptionally well is a blessing. Wealth that demands that you sacrifice relationships and health to get it will change you for the worse. Choose your master carefully. Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions
