Jack Waters recently wrote about how a drive to "set himself up" and optimise every part of his life made it hard to enjoy the present.
This is what readers had to say about finding the balance in their own lives.
"My whole life has been about optimisation. In my 20s, I started exercising fanatically … in my mind I had to exercise every single day, and I remember 'having to go' for a run at midnight on a family holiday in Merimbula in the 90s instead of relaxing and going to bed."
I started journalling at 17 and still do it.
I've always been a workaholic, a habit instilled in me by my parents, and I dislike taking time off.
Five years ago, I started learning guitar and piano to fulfil a lifelong dream.
I'm 60 now, and I am struggling with the thought of impending retirement, and I have serious trouble just enjoying experiences.
"I was intensely focused on optimisation in my 20s."
I turned vegan and only ate whole foods, I stopped drinking, I tracked habits and had a rigid exercise routine.
Life is messy and beautiful and uncertain, and it would be great if we could lean into that more, which is why I ocean swim and started playing rugby union to recover.
"I have recently been tossing up changing electricity providers and found myself thinking, 'This plan has a lower off-peak rate than I am now on."
Feel like I wasted 15 years of my life.