Yesterday I wrote about how not to travel. To be sure, living stupidly out of balance as I've been is damaging to your health, depressing and unsustainable, but working 9 to 5 doesn't seem to work either. Being careful, never putting in extra effort when required, will almost always cause an enterprise to flounder and it's not the making of good "War Stories". In my office is a bookshelf full of business books and autobiographies, and at home I have shelves full of the same. You never read, "Well we started the business, it all went well and I made it home early every night." Instead the stories start with tension, stress, heartache and personal sacrifice.

Being scared and defying the odds is what makes a good story

How about this advert for explorers to join Shackleton's race to the South Pole, a challenge that saw another group, led by Sir Robert Scott, doomed to an icy grave. Incredibly, 5000 people evidently applied to join the team.

"Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success."

You change the world by expecting the unreasonable

I'm not sure what it's like at Apple now, but stories of the development of the first Mac are flavoured with people sleeping under desks, living on pizza and Coke, day in day out, month in month out ... People not just developing a product, but a team hoping to change the world. - Richard Branson didn't build Virgin by just talking about music, or by just talking about a record company, he did it by living his dream day in day out 24/7, even selling music from the boot of his car. He did what he had to do so that one day he and his people would change the world. Sure it was play hard ... but it was also work hard. - Mother Teresa's story is not one of personal comfort, it's one of self sacrifice. She influenced the world by putting herself last. Putting her needs behind those people she served. - I am completely unreasonable with myself. We don't measure ourselves against our neighbours, or even our competitors, but against people like these that have already changed the world.

Will money make you happy?

I have a friend who, whenever you talk about working hard, says, "Money won't make you happy". What she doesn't understand is, it's never really been about the money. It's about the challenge, the excitement, about making a difference. It's about changing the world ... it's about creating something legendary.

But are these stories just the lies we tell ourselves?

Steve Blank wrote this story about lies entrepreneurs tell themselves which I agree with and have from time to time told myself. The truth is, however, living your dream leads to a passionate life, but pursuing them and working hard is not an excuse for not prioritising family, friends and the people you love. Life is for living and one's mission will end up empty and with regrets if being out of balance remains your way of life. Just be careful, because when you care more about others, or about your mission more than you do about yourself, it can be hard to see that things are "out of balance".