Last week, I went to a  7×7 Mentoring Salon which bring together seven badass business women and seven women who are just getting started. I, obviously, was in the 2nd category because by badass I mean absolutely mind-blowingly awesome. They are my Oprah.

Towards the end of the event we discussed work ecosystems and one point that was made has stuck with me. The vast majority of ‘adults’ spend the majority of  their waking ours at work, whether that be in an office, outdoors, or at home. Beyond that, we spend even more time thinking about work because, while we may turn off our computers and leave papers at our desks (if you have one), the challenges, struggles, and problems you are facing at work aren’t so easy to leave behind.

Accepting the above, it is then up to us, as individuals, to either find or construct the working ecosystems that will make all of this physical and mental time, dare I say it, enjoyable.

I like to think that we are close to moving past the era of cubicles. However, the ability to move your chair more than 1ft in each direction isn’t the only metric that defines a bearable work environment. Far more important, in the long run, is that mental part –  conventional questions include: can you leave your work at work? Are you able to determine where work ends and your life begins?

Honestly, as a member of a four person team at a startup. I can’t answer either of the questions above with a yes. More importantly, I don’t want to be able to yet. Those questions may help many define a healthy work environment in the traditional sense but those drawn to young companies aren’t often looking for healthy.

In building my ecosystem I accept long hours and a complete blurring of work and life in exchange for a level of excitement and fun that you can’t find many other places. I ask myself: Do you love what you are doing? Do you love who you work with? Would you go in to work on a Saturday? Can you imagine doing anything else?

Ask yourself what you need from your ecosystem to be successful. Is it tangible? Or is it, as I have found, all about those little intangibles that add up to create a pretty sick life?