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Exploring the personal history behind work-life balance choices, one story at a time.

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Finding Balance When You’re An Introvert in a Family and Workplace Full of Extroverts – Podcast Episode OUT NOW: Season 3; Episode 3

Picture this scenario: You’ve been invited out by friends for a drink after work. Throughout the course of your day, you get pulled into some important, absorbing work that needs dealing with.  What do you do? For my latest guest on ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’, Rami Madbouli, the decision to choose work over…

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Work, Life, Balance Lesson #1: Finding Balance When You Have a Smartphone & You Engage With Social Media

Does having a smartphone enhance or hinder your ability to balance your work with everything else in life? In this short bitesize podcast episode, I share some observations of the impact that smartphones and social media have on work-life balance, based on conversations I’ve hosted on the blog and podcast ‘A Fine Balance’ It’s curious…

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Work, Life, Balance Lessons

I have learned so much from all the interviews I’ve conducted since launching my blog in 2020 – asking people from all walks of life about the choices they make when balancing work with everything else in life. Over time I’ve gathered many examples of actions that people have taken to find their balance. I’ve…

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The Pursuit of Work-Life Balance in 2024

All set for 2024? If you’re intent on getting your work-life balance right this year, then you may find that ‘A Fine Balance‘ can help you along the way. Since its creation in 2020, the blog and podcast has showcased a diverse range of personal stories about how individuals balance their work with everything else…

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That’s a Wrap for 2023

Highlights of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’ in 2023 2023 was a packed year for ‘A Fine Balance’.  In terms of the stats, I produced and published over twenty blog posts and nine podcast episodes. My final podcast episode of the year is a compilation of highlights from each interview, so a good one…

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Working Parents Working at Finding Their Balance

One of the things I love most about blogging and podcasting is the incredibly vast network it has opened up, creating opportunities to engage with people I wouldn’t imagine crossing paths with otherwise. One such opportunity was meeting and collaborating with the brilliant author and parenting expert, Anita Cleare, whose work I have admired since…

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Interviews

Finding Balance When You’re An Introvert in a Family and Workplace Full of Extroverts

Season 3, Episode 3 of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’: OUT SOON Subscribe here to be notified when the podcast episode is available to download. And if you enjoy it, please drop a rating and review! “I’m not very good at work-life balance“, said my latest podcast guest sheepishly, after summarising that he choosesContinue reading “Finding Balance When You’re An Introvert in a Family and Workplace Full of Extroverts”

Finding Balance by Turning Your Passion into a Side Hustle: Bettina’s Story

Season 3, Episode 2 of ‘ A Fine Balance – The Podcast’ – Out Now There’s a saying that I’ve heard banded around communities of side hustlers that goes: “Your nine-to-five may make you a living. But your five-to-nine makes you alive“ This certainly rings true for the guest of my next podcast episode, BettinaContinue reading “Finding Balance by Turning Your Passion into a Side Hustle: Bettina’s Story”

Finding Balance When the ‘To-Do List’ is Never Done: Kerry’s Story on Solo Motherhood, Job-Sharing, and the Lure of the Expatriate Lifestyle

Work-Life Balance Profile #21: Kerry* (TL;DR heads-up that this is a long blog post! The following introduction provides a flavour of the content) Introduction to Kerry’s Profile There is no shortage of examples in this blog of situations where people feel overwhelmed by their “work” and “life” loads. After all, that is often the catalystContinue reading “Finding Balance When the ‘To-Do List’ is Never Done: Kerry’s Story on Solo Motherhood, Job-Sharing, and the Lure of the Expatriate Lifestyle”

“My Work is My Health”: Finding Balance When Work Comes First – Gilles’ Story – On the Virtues of Working Hard, the Perils of Loneliness, and the Importance of Quality (over Quantity) When it Comes to Spending Time

Work-Life Balance Profile #20: Gilles Dahan (TL;DR heads-up that this is a long blog post! The following introduction provides a flavour of the content) Introduction to Gilles’ Profile References to improving your work-life balance usually allude to reducing the “work” side of the work:life ratio. For example, by taking regular lunch breaks, clocking off earlierContinue reading ““My Work is My Health”: Finding Balance When Work Comes First – Gilles’ Story – On the Virtues of Working Hard, the Perils of Loneliness, and the Importance of Quality (over Quantity) When it Comes to Spending Time”

Finding Balance by Using Time Wisely: Julia’s Story – on Time Management, Choosing Jobs that “Matter” & Advocating for Improved Flexible Working Rights

Work-Life Balance Profile #19: Julia Elmer (TL;DR heads-up that this is a long blog post! The following introduction is a brief summary) Introduction to Julia’s Profile Julia’s story is one of a full-time working mum of two, who considers herself to have an optimum work-life balance of 50:50. This hasn’t always been the case forContinue reading “Finding Balance by Using Time Wisely: Julia’s Story – on Time Management, Choosing Jobs that “Matter” & Advocating for Improved Flexible Working Rights”

“It Doesn’t Have To Be That Way” – Finding Balance by Setting Precedents: Katherine’s Story – on setting work-life boundaries as a legal professional & sharing the workload in marriage

Work-Life Balance Profile #18: Katherine Brownstein Introduction to Katherine’s Profile There are so many ‘work, life, balance’ facets to Katherine’s story that my challenge in writing up my interview with her has been how to summarise them concisely: finding balance in a traditionally inflexible profession; sharing “work” equally in a marriage; the conflicting struggles ofContinue reading ““It Doesn’t Have To Be That Way” – Finding Balance by Setting Precedents: Katherine’s Story – on setting work-life boundaries as a legal professional & sharing the workload in marriage”

“Multitasking Mastery: A Seamless Work/Life Blend”. Adunola’s Story – on finding balance after being let down by an employer & valuing financial independence within a marriage

Work-Life Balance Profile #17: Adunola* Introduction to Adunola’s Profile The subject of my latest Work-Life Balance Profile, Adunola, has got it all figured out: an exact equilibrium between work and home life, which includes holding down a career that she loves while simultaneously being the main carer of her children. How does she do it?Continue reading ““Multitasking Mastery: A Seamless Work/Life Blend”. Adunola’s Story – on finding balance after being let down by an employer & valuing financial independence within a marriage”

Click here for the full ‘Work-Life Balance Profiles’ series

Giving voice to the multitude of work-life balance possibilities for both men and women.

Celebrating role models from across the working spectrum.

I begin each interview by asking my subject to put a self-perceived figure on their current work:life ratio, and whether they aspire for it to be any different.

Of course, quantifying something this multi-faceted isn’t a science. 

But it’s a good place to start for getting to the heart of their story….