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Real World Work-Life Balance: How to Find Your Entrepreneurial Zen

Think entrepreneurship requires putting your personal life on hold and working 100 hours a week? Think again. We spoke to successful 'treps who've learned to prioritize life outside of work. Follow their strategies to find your own blissful balance.

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By Michelle Goodman

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Julie Fredrickson jokes that she's running her startup wrong. By not compulsively working every waking hour, the 29-year-old knows she's defying some sort of macho entrepreneurial code. "But I just haven't found that to be the path to success," says the co-founder and CEO of playAPI, an enterprise software company in New York.

Instead, Fredrickson accomplishes what she needs to in 10 hours or less each day and rarely works weekends. She eats well, runs triathlons, powerlifts and sleeps at least nine hours a night. She regularly spends time with friends and frequently travels to visit her parents in Colorado and brother in Georgia. "I am strongly in favor of a balanced life," Fredrickson says. "I think I am a better entrepreneur for this decision."

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