Working in tech can feel like trying to drink from a firehose while juggling flaming torches. New features, new services, new frameworks - and that’s just Monday. Some days it feels like keeping up with the tools you already know is a full‑time job, never mind learning the shiny new ones.

And that’s only the work part. Add friends, family, hobbies, health, rest, and the general chaos of being a functioning adult, and suddenly you’re carrying far more than two hands were ever designed for.

Over the last year, I’ve been trying to understand my limits - not in a defeatist way, but in a “what actually matters?” way. I’ve learned that I’m excellent at pushing myself, and equally amazing at exhausting myself. So I needed a way to make sense of everything I was holding.

That’s when the spheres analogy clicked for me. It’s simple, visual, and brutally honest.

The Spheres Analogy

Imagine every part of your life is a sphere you’re trying to hold and balance in your hands. Work. Health. Relationships. Learning. Hobbies. Admin. All of it.

But here’s the critical part:

Not all spheres are made of the same material.

Some are fragile. Some are sturdy - some bounce. And the material matters more than the number of spheres you’re holding.

Let’s break them down. This breakdown is different for everyone, but here are mine:

Glass Spheres - The Irreplaceables

These are the parts of your life that shatter if dropped.

They don’t bounce. They don’t dent. They don’t “wait until next quarter.”

• Your health

• Your closest relationships

• Your mental well‑being

• Your core values

If a glass sphere hits the floor, it doesn’t come back in the same form. These are the things you protect first, even when everything else is on fire.

Ceramic Spheres - The Important, But Survivable

Ceramic spheres matter. They’re meaningful. They’re part of the life you want to build. But if you drop one, it doesn’t explode - it chips. It cracks. It becomes harder to pick up later, but not impossible.

• Career development

• Long‑term goals

• Personal growth

• Learning that enriches your future

Ceramic spheres require care, but they don’t demand perfection.

Rubber Spheres - The Bounce‑Backs

Rubber spheres are the things you love, but that won’t collapse your life if you put them down for a while.

• Hobbies

• Optional learning

• Side projects

• Creative experiments

They bounce. They wait. They return when you’re ready.

The Real Magic: Spheres Within Spheres

Here’s where the analogy becomes genuinely helpful.

Every “big” sphere contains smaller spheres inside it - and those inner spheres can be made of different materials.

Let’s take my “work” sphere, for example. I consider it to be ceramic overall - important, meaningful, but not life‑ending if I need to slow down.

But inside that sphere, I have:

• A glass sphere: my relationship with my client

• A ceramic sphere: learning Dutch to support more clients

• A rubber sphere: exploring Kubernetes because it’s interesting

This matters because the material of the inner sphere determines how I spend my time and energy, not the material of the outer one.

Why this matters

If my client relationship is a glass sphere inside the ceramic work sphere, then:

• I protect that relationship

• I prioritise communication, delivery, and trust

• I don’t let that one drop

But learning Dutch - also inside the work sphere - might be ceramic:

• Important

• Valuable

• But not catastrophic if delayed

So if life gets busy, I can safely extend my Dutch‑learning timeline without guilt, because I’m not dropping a glass sphere - I’m adjusting a ceramic one.

This is the nuance most productivity frameworks miss.

It’s not about “work vs life.”

It’s about what within work (or within life) actually matters.

My Spheres for 2026

A bit of context: I moved to the Netherlands in 2022 and am working toward naturalisation. I love my job, I love my clients, and I’m surrounded by wonderful people (including two cats who believe they are the centre of the universe). I also have… let’s call it an enthusiastic number of hobbies.

So here’s how I’m structuring my spheres for the year.

Glass Spheres - Non‑Negotiables

• Health - sleep, rest, exercise, mental well‑being

• Relationships - partner, friends, family

If these fall, everything else becomes irrelevant.

Ceramic Spheres - Important, But Flexible

• Career - I genuinely enjoy what I do and who I work with

• Naturalisation - learning Dutch, preparing for exams

These spheres matter deeply, but they can be paced.

Rubber Sphere - Joyful Extras

• Hobbies - gaming, pool, Warhammer, model building

They enrich my life, but they’ll bounce back whenever I’m ready.

Zooming In: The Work Sphere Example

Revisiting my ceramic work sphere example, here is how I would personally break it down:

Glass sphere: my client relationship

I genuinely enjoy working with my current client. They’re engaged, collaborative, and the work is fulfilling. This is something I want to protect.

Ceramic sphere: learning Dutch

Learning Dutch helps me support more clients and aligns with my naturalisation goals. It’s important, but there’s no hard deadline. If I need to slow down, that’s okay.

Rubber sphere: Kubernetes certifications

I find Kubernetes fascinating, but I don’t actively use it right now. Preparing for certifications stresses me out, and stress impacts my glass spheres (health and relationships). So Kubernetes goes into the “later” pile.

This structure lets me make decisions without guilt or chaos.

It gives me permission to adjust timelines without feeling like I’m failing.

What This Looks Like in Practice

At work, I’m fortunate to be in an environment that values learning and knowledge‑sharing. That means I can align my ceramic spheres: using my study budget to learn Dutch helps both my personal goal and my ability to support Dutch‑speaking clients.

I’ll also renew my AWS certifications - partly because they’re expiring, partly because they help me stay sharp for the work I already do.

But I’m not adding extra pressure by stacking more ceramic spheres than I can realistically hold. That’s how burnout happens.

This plan gives me clarity. It lets me focus on the AWSome work I’m doing with my current client, pursue personal goals, and stay healthy without overextending myself.

Your Turn

Here’s my challenge to you:

Map out your spheres.

Not just the big ones - the inner ones too.

• What are you holding?

• What are they made of?

• Which ones must stay in your hands?

• Which ones can you safely put down?

• Which ones are only glass because you assumed they were?

You don’t need to juggle everything.

You just need to know what’s glass, what’s ceramic, and what’s rubber - both on the outside and on the inside.

Once you see it clearly, life gets a whole lot lighter, and juggling becomes a whole lot easier.