The Pursuit of Balance When… You Work Full-Time

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  Darren’s Story – Confessions of a Workaholic
  Understanding the roots of individual work values can help make sense of work-life balance choices, encouraging self-reflection, acceptance and compassion – towards oneself and others. To this end, I’ve set out to use this blog to feature a series of “work-life balance profiles“, exploring the personal history behind work-life balance choices, one story at aContinue reading “Darren’s Story – Confessions of a Workaholic”
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  Sheara’s Story – Behind the Movie Scenes: A Tale of Full-Time Working Motherhood
  Work-Life Balance Profile #2 – Sheara Abrahams Why is it that when discussing careers with full-time working mothers, invariably the conversation turns to childcare arrangements and relationship dynamics? Is it just me or are these topics slower to come up in similar conversations with full-time working men? My impression is that however much progress hasContinue reading “Sheara’s Story – Behind the Movie Scenes: A Tale of Full-Time Working Motherhood”
• Her Story Made History
  I’ve been reading Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s book “My Own Words” lately, and this week I watched the movie dramatisation of part of her life story, “On the Basis of Sex”. Numerous themes that have emerged from my blog have been playing on my mind since, including: The ‘power of parenting’ in setting an individual’s attitudeContinue reading “Her Story Made History”
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  A Fine Balance – The Podcast: Episode 3 Out Now
  To listen to Episode 3 of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’ click here. My guest this episode is Tahmid Chowdhury, who I interviewed for my blog in October 2020 in a post entitled: Tahmid’s Story – Ethnic minority beginnings, burnout and career change. Back then, he was straddling two careers in tandem and wasContinue reading “A Fine Balance – The Podcast: Episode 3 Out Now”
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  Hamilton: “I have so much work to do”
  Alexander Hamilton, as portrayed in Lin Manuel Miranda’s musical masterpiece, was a classic workaholic. Ambitious and driven to rise above his station at all costs. He worked hard, was focussed on his goals, and accomplished so much. Against the odds. The man is non-stop Hamilton the musical was pretty much the soundtrack to my family’sContinue reading “Hamilton: “I have so much work to do””
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  A Fine Balance – The Podcast: Episode 8 Out Now
  EPISODE 8 of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’ is out now! This episode of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast‘ features Tom McLaughlan, a retired Government Relations Advisor, who now works voluntarily for a crisis intervention charity. Tom first featured on ‘A Fine Balance – The Blog’ in August 2021. In this podcast episode,Continue reading “A Fine Balance – The Podcast: Episode 8 Out Now”
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  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”
• On a Mission: Work-Life Balance When You Have Your Eye on the Prize
  Since the England women’s national football team, the Lionesses, won the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 a couple of weeks ago, I have spent more time than usual scrolling online for snippets of football highlights and post-match press conferences, reliving and absorbing the build-up and crescendo of the team’s glorious victory. Like many others I’ve spokenContinue reading “On a Mission: Work-Life Balance When You Have Your Eye on the Prize”
• A Working Life of Duty, Service & Purpose
  “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family, to which we all belong.” These are the words that Queen Elizabeth II, a royal Princess at the time, pledged on her 21st birthday in 1947.Continue reading “A Working Life of Duty, Service & Purpose”
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  On Finding Balance as a Career-Driven Family Man, When Work Takes Priority: Gilles’ Story
  ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’: Season 2, Episode 3 Out Now The third episode of this season’s podcast is out now, featuring Gilles Dahan, a former banker and head of global trading, who left the finance industry in 2019, and now works as a consultant and entrepreneur. This podcast episode contains some great nuggetsContinue reading “On Finding Balance as a Career-Driven Family Man, When Work Takes Priority: Gilles’ Story”
• Three Work-Life Balance Hacks: Coming soon in the Next Episode of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’
  Over what’s been a very busy holiday period, I’ve been beavering away in the margins editing the next episode of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’, which features the indomitable Ruth Todd CBE as my guest. There are three work-life balance hacks that I’ve so far picked up from listening back to Ruth talk aboutContinue reading “Three Work-Life Balance Hacks: Coming soon in the Next Episode of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’”
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  On Finding Balance When You Want to “Have It All”, Teamwork & Avoiding Stress: Ruth’s Story
  ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’: Season 2, Episode 4 Out Now I’m delighted to introduce the guest of my next podcast episode, Ruth Todd CBE. Ruth’s career has been full of managing complex infrastructure and change projects for a string of blue-chip companies, often under public scrutiny. Formerly Programme Director of the UK’s VaccineContinue reading “On Finding Balance When You Want to “Have It All”, Teamwork & Avoiding Stress: Ruth’s Story”
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  On Teenage Pregnancy, Teacher Burnout & Finding Balance When You’re “Busy”: Laura’s Story
  ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’: Season 2, Episode 5 Out Now The recording process for this episode of ‘A Fine Balance – The Podcast’ was plagued with quite a few mishaps. Thankfully, my guest Laura Krantz, who is a mother of five, and has spent most of her career working in the most challengingContinue reading “On Teenage Pregnancy, Teacher Burnout & Finding Balance When You’re “Busy”: Laura’s Story”
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  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”
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  On Pride, Acceptance & Finding Balance by Parenting Equally: Paul’s Story
  A Fine Balance – The Podcast’: Season 2, Episode 6 Out Now How does a married couple – with a young child (and a puppy) – find a balance between each partner’s career and home life, when they both work full-time? My guest this episode, investigative journalist Paul Morgan-Bentley, claims to have the answer: theyContinue reading “On Pride, Acceptance & Finding Balance by Parenting Equally: Paul’s Story”
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  Finding Balance When You Work “Unsociable Hours”
  Did you know that the dance studio where the Royal Opera House ballet dancers rehearse is the same size as the stage in the main auditorium? That was just one fact I learned on a behind-the-scenes tour I recently took of this iconic theatre. The tour, which was brilliantly delivered, provided insight into the complexContinue reading “Finding Balance When You Work “Unsociable Hours””
• Fashioning a Work-Life Balance
  What do you see in this picture? Some might see a mess. Rolls of material stood up against the wall, scraps of paper strewn on a desk, folders full of papers stacked up on shelves. Others would see untold creative potential. To Yves Saint Laurent, this was his creative haven, where he put ideas onContinue reading “Fashioning a Work-Life Balance”
• 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”
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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 overContinue reading “Finding Balance When You’re An Introvert in a Family and Workplace Full of Extroverts – Podcast Episode OUT NOW: Season 3; Episode 3”
• On Marketing, Corporate Cultures, Having Fun, and Asking for Help: New Podcast Episode Out Now, Featuring Dan Knowlton
  My guest this episode is the marketing professional, business owner, and podcast co-host, Dan Knowlton. Dan readily admits to not taking himself too seriously, and says that finding fun both in and outside of work contributes to his sense of balance. Yet, our conversation during this podcast episode takes a serious turn too, when DanContinue reading “On Marketing, Corporate Cultures, Having Fun, and Asking for Help: New Podcast Episode Out Now, Featuring Dan Knowlton”
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  DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH SPECIAL: On Finding Balance When You Work and Live With a Disability – Emma’s Story – Podcast Episode Out Now
  This is a special episode to mark Disability Pride Month, which falls every July. My guest is Emma Livingstone, a married mum of three, who, in 2018, founded a campaigning movement called “UP – The Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement“, to improve care services for adults living with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Emma was diagnosed with CPContinue reading “DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH SPECIAL: On Finding Balance When You Work and Live With a Disability – Emma’s Story – Podcast Episode Out Now”
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  Self-Employed or Employed – Which is Better For Your Work-Life Balance? Work, Life, Balance Lesson #6 – NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY
  Have you ever wondered if you’d have a better work-life balance by quitting your nine-to-five and setting up on your own? Perhaps you are self-employed and considering re-entering the workplace as an employee? Do you think doing so will enhance, or be detrimental, to your work-life balance? Or maybe you’re just generally interested in howContinue reading “Self-Employed or Employed – Which is Better For Your Work-Life Balance? Work, Life, Balance Lesson #6 – NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY”
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  Finding Balance When You’re Single and Looking for Love – Katie’s Story: NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY
  Work-life balance isn’t typically a topic you’d associate with single, young professionals with no caring responsibilities. Yet, as this episode’s guest, a business development manager and creator of the Single Sounds podcast, Katie McNamara shares, this is a time in life when there’s a lot going on. When you’re starting out in your career andContinue reading “Finding Balance When You’re Single and Looking for Love – Katie’s Story: NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY”
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  Finding Work-Life Balance by Escaping the ‘Rat Race’ – NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY
  This Work, Life, Balance Lessons episode has been inspired by a range of conversations I had with strangers during my summer holiday in Canada. These people – men and women, ranging in ages and professions – had one thing in common: they had all left big cities to locate themselves in remote places of naturalContinue reading “Finding Work-Life Balance by Escaping the ‘Rat Race’ – NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT TODAY”
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  On the Hidden Impact of Debt, Body Image Struggles, and Being “Replaceable” – Lorna’s Story. NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT NOW!
  The first episode of Season 4 of A Fine Balance is out now! In it, we explore some serious life challenges that can underlyingly impact a person’s work-life balance, through the personal story of my guest Lorna McKenna.  Lorna works full-time in local government, alongside running her passion project of coaching and hosting a personalContinue reading “On the Hidden Impact of Debt, Body Image Struggles, and Being “Replaceable” – Lorna’s Story. NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT NOW!”
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  On Balancing a Corporate Job With Creative Pursuits, Boundary-Setting & Cultural Influences – Urmi’s Story: NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT NOW FEATURING URMI HOSSAIN
  In a world where the lines between work and personal life are increasingly blurred, achieving a work-life balance that feels right for you often comes down to the boundaries you decide to set for yourself and those around you. For my podcast guest this episode, there is no doubt where her work ends and theContinue reading “On Balancing a Corporate Job With Creative Pursuits, Boundary-Setting & Cultural Influences – Urmi’s Story: NEW PODCAST EPISODE OUT NOW FEATURING URMI HOSSAIN”