The Balanced Engineer Newsletter

Week of September 1, 2025 • Issue # 35

Labor Day

In celebration of Labor Day, and in recognition of the fight made to celebrate organized labor, I'm sharing nothing today.

If you're in the United States, I hope you enjoy a lovely day off. If you're outside of the United States, I hope you still get an opportunity to celebrate how awesome you are.

Sometimes the most balanced thing we can do is simply... not work. Today's a perfect reminder that our worth isn't measured by our productivity, our latest deploy, or how many Slack messages we've answered. It's measured by our humanity.

Take a nap. Read a book that has nothing to do with engineering. Spend time with people you care about. Stare at the clouds. Do absolutely nothing if that's what feels right.

The code will still be there tomorrow. But this moment of rest? That's what makes everything else sustainable.

See you next Monday with fresh insights and renewed energy. Until then, be kind to yourself.

What I've Been Building

A quick look at what I've been working on this week

• Overcommitted: Ep. 22 | Leveling up: Gamification in Software Development
• Overcommitted Book Club: Check out the insights from participant's read of the eighth chapter of Looks Good To Me!