Balancing the Grind with Jakub Jezovic, Independent Designer & Illustrator

Jakub Jezovic is an independent designer and illustrator based in Slovakia, where he works with clients from all over the globe.

1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?

I am an Independent Designer and Illustrator from Slovakia and I’ve been lucky to work with clients from all over the globe.

2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?

I usually wake up around 8 am and start my day with a 10k run. After that, I have breakfast and start working around 10 am.

Every day is different depending on the projects I am currently working on. During the day, I take breaks to cook some good meals and play the drums or go for a walk if there is time for that.

I try to finish work no later than 8 pm. After that, I like to enjoy a good book or watch Netflix with my fiancée to relax a bit.

3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?

I work from my home studio and I am a big proponent of remote work. It’s great to see more and more companies allowing their employees to work fully remotely. I see many benefits to that.

4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?

For me, work-life balance means that I feel good, as simple as it sounds. I have a few rules which I try to live by.

To feel good I need to have enough movement, at least 8 hours of sleep and a healthy diet. This gives me a good base to be able to deal with everything that comes my way.

5) In the past 12 months, have you started/stopped any routines or habits to change your life?

I bought a sit-stand desk and it’s nice to switch things up. To cope with day to day stress I make sure to have regular exercise and at the moment, running has the biggest “ROI” from the things I do.

6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?

My favourite book is Mastery by Robert Greene and I recommend everyone to read it.
Another book I really like is Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. It’s a great book about why good night sleep is so vital and important.

I listen to way too many podcasts, but to pick a few: The Rich Roll Podcast, The Tim Ferriss Podcast and The James Altucher Show.

7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?

Headphones, because I listen to music and podcasts all the time.

8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?

It would be somebody as prolific as Leonardo da Vinci.

9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?

Work-life balance means something different to everyone. I think that each of us needs to build their own environment and practices to live a great life

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