The Wisdom of Gen Z

My newest mentor isn’t an elder or a peer.

It’s an entire generation.

Prompted by Ritu Bhasin’s moving post last week, I’ve been reflecting on Gen Z’s reputation for pushing back on workaholism. Anecdotally, they prioritize more balance and well-being. They don’t live to work—or at least they don’t accept that as inevitable.

What if they are right?

Like Ritu, I was groomed working in a law firm led by Boomers and traditionalists. They presented “the right way to work,” and I did what I thought I had to do in order to succeed. 

Yet at points in my life I knew that wasn’t working for me. Every time I had a kid, I would try to adjust. I moved in-house to get more regular hours. Being home by six was better than working around the clock. After my second child was born, I started my own practice, so I had more flexibility. But I was still billing at least 50 hours a week. And after the kids went to bed, that laptop was opened up again until I got my work done.

I felt productive…in a way. But if I work around the clock for someone else, when do I take care of my children—or myself?

The Boomers dedicated their lives to their jobs because their jobs returned the favor—with a lifetime of promotions, a community of colleagues, and pensions for retirement. Their salaries covered their families’ expenses, allowing spouses to manage the unpaid labor of child-rearing and housekeeping.

All of that is gone. 

So when I hear Gen-Z-ers talk about prioritizing their health and fulfillment alongside their professional contributions, I think to myself, how did they become so wise?

When I was a young associate, no one talked about wellness. Now the SJC in Massachusetts has an active committee on lawyer well-being. 

People are recognizing that all this stress is not helpful to us as humans. People are trying to find ways to keep themselves sane.

I admire the new generation for trying to create a new way of working. 

What has been your journey with work-life balance? Are you finding ways to create more opportunities for rest or outside activity? And are your organizations supporting this movement—or struggling with it?