For true creative types, that is a sound philosophy. Perhaps other jobs from mechanic to physician also but then there are the bureaucratic jobs. Retiring from a govt job, a certain amount of time was the goal but then one can lose autonomy and sometimes identity if in a conformist culture as the military and police forces are (were?). Maybe a good goal for the second half of my life though, so thanks.

Rod Judkins M.A., RCA
How to Achieve the Perfect Work-Life Balance
How can we achieve a fulfilled and balanced life?
Posted Feb 10, 2014
The way to achieve the perfect work-life balance is to not do any work. If your work and life are in separate compartments, something’s gone wrong. Great painters, poets, dancers or whatever, choose a lifestyle and then work out what they have to do to make a living within that way of life. They choose a fulfilling way of life rather than fulfilling societies expectations. When they are writing, painting, dancing or whatever, they are doing what makes them truly and authentically themselves and would not want to be doing anything else.

Work, life balance
He jotted down this advice to a friend, ‘As I see it then, the formula runs something like this: a man must choose a path that will let his abilities function at maximum efficiency toward the gratification of his desires.’ Thompson continues, ‘In short, he has not dedicated his life to reaching a pre-defined goal, but he has rather chosen a way of life he knows he will enjoy.’ Published in ‘Letters of Note: Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience.’
The creative person’s work is their life. Life and work should be inseparable. If you’d rather go on holiday than go to work – you need to change your life, now.
Rod Judkins is an artist, writer and professional public speaker delivering lectures and workshops that explain the creative process to help businesses and individuals be more inspires in their lives and work. He is author of the bestseller, Change Your Mind: 57 Ways to Unlock Your Creative Self.