"Work-life balance" is one of the most talked-about, yet elusive, goals in the modern professional world. We are simultaneously told to hustle harder, climb faster, and optimize every minute of our day, while also being encouraged to practice self-care, unplug, and be present with our families. We are drowning in a sea of conflicting demands, caught between the glorification of burnout and the commercialization of wellness. The result is not balance, but a perpetual state of feeling like we are failing on all fronts.
Perhaps the problem is that we are looking for balance in the wrong place. We see it as a complex equation of time management, a perfect equilibrium to be achieved. But in Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Dispossessed, we are offered a simpler, more profound path to balance, summed up in a pithy Odonian proverb that Shevek shares:
"Excess is excrement."
This blunt, almost comical phrase is a radical statement in a world that worships excess. It suggests that balance is not about adding more (more yoga, more productivity apps), but about subtracting. It is the disciplined, intentional practice of identifying and eliminating the excess—the waste—from our lives to make room for what truly matters.
Identifying the "Excrement" in Your Life
The society of Urras, the capitalist twin planet in the novel, is a world of glorious excess. It has an excess of food, luxury, laws, and possessions. But Shevek, who comes from the scarcity of Anarres, sees this excess not as wealth, but as waste. It is a burden that complicates life, creates inequality, and distracts from true purpose.
Our lives are similarly cluttered with excess. To find balance, we must first learn to identify this waste, this "excrement," in our own days. It can take many forms:
Excess Meetings: The standing meetings that have no clear agenda, the "check-ins" that could have been an email, the brainstorms where no one is prepared.
Excess Communication: The endless CC'd email chains, the instant message notifications that shatter your focus, the pressure to be constantly available and responsive.
Excess Busyness: The performative work we do to look busy, the perfectionism that leads to diminishing returns, the refusal to delegate because "it's faster if I do it myself."
Excess Ambition: The relentless pursuit of the next title or promotion without ever stopping to ask if it's what we truly want, the "yes" we say to every opportunity out of fear of missing out.
This excess is not harmless. It is the waste product of a culture of more. It clogs our calendars, exhausts our minds, and pollutes our sense of purpose. It is the primary obstacle to achieving genuine balance.
Balance Through Subtraction
The Odonian philosophy suggests that balance is not an act of addition, but of subtraction. It is a process of mindful elimination. Once you have identified the excess in your life, the path to balance becomes clearer. It's about having the courage to get rid of the waste.
This could mean:
Declining a meeting that you know will not be a good use of your time.
Turning off your notifications for set blocks of deep thinking.
Delegating a task and trusting your team (personal or professional) to handle it.
Saying "no" to a project that does not align with your core priorities.
Each of these actions can feel scary. They go against the grain of our "hustle" culture. But every time you eliminate a piece of excess, you are not creating a void; you are creating space.
Space for what? Space for the things that actually matter. Space for deep thinking and creativity. Space for rest and recovery. Space for the people and activities that make you whole.
True balance is not a 50/50 split between work and life. That's a myth. True balance is a state of being where your life is no longer filled with excrement, but is instead a clean, clear channel for your energy and purpose. It is about having enough—enough challenge, enough rest, enough reward—and recognizing that anything more is not just unnecessary, it is a burden.
Take a look at your life. Where is the excess? What can you eliminate today to make room for what truly nourishes you?
Take a few minutes to be mindful
How does this theme present itself in your life?
For one day, keep an 'Excess Log.' Track every activity, meeting, or interruption that feels like a waste of your time and energy. Don't judge it or try to fix it yet. The goal is simply to become aware of how much 'excrement' has accumulated in your day.
What does the quote bring up for you?
Read the quote: 'Excess is excrement.' Consider one area of your life where you are striving for more (e.g., more responsibility, more projects, a higher salary). Ask yourself honestly: at what point does this 'more' become 'excess'? At what point does it stop nourishing you and start becoming a burden?
How can you think differently about this?
Identify the single biggest piece of 'excess' from your log. Now, frame its removal not as an act of avoidance or 'slacking,' but as a strategic act of creating space. Write down the answer to this sentence: 'By eliminating [the excess], I am creating space for [the important thing].' (e.g., 'By declining the weekly status meeting, I am creating space for two hours of deep, focused work.')
By clearing away the excess, we create the space needed to focus on what truly matters—the activities that build deep, resilient self-trust. In the next article, we'll explore a quieter, more powerful form of confidence that has nothing to do with performance and everything to do with the work itself.
