Let's Stop Calling it Work/Life Balance

Welcome to Day 1/30 of this newsletter challenge — we’re doing this.

Over the next 30 days, I’ll send out a daily email featuring someone who I think has found ways to Set The Pace in their life (shameless plug) and share the unique ways they go about their work, life, and everything in between.

The email will be divided into:

• 3 insights into our guests’ life

• 2 quotes that leave you a little better than they found you

• 1 podcast recommendation

3 Insights

 Melanie Vella 💫 

Melanie is a Sustainability & ESG Solutionist, and professional life balancer as I like to call her and she’s also mum to the cutest little boy. Mel has helped me rethink my work/life balance and reminds me to keep questioning the way things need to work for you and not everyone else.

So, let’s dive in:

1. How do you balance work life and everything else?

   Mel: ‘I call it work-life and not work/life balance because I don’t think work-life balance exists. I feel like balance implies that there is some equal measure between the two and instead you just need to accept that things go in phases. There are times when you need just to work your butt off and have crazy deadlines or sometimes it’s about your personal life; your child is sick and you need to stay home and your energy needs to be there.

   I believe that as humans, our next evolution of work-life is that we can make decisions and have the flexibility to recognize when we need to focus on one and not the other and be given the freedom to do so!

   We need to move away from this black-and-white thinking that when I’m at home or work, the other ceases to exist. If not, you get frustrated as a new mum trying to figure out all from scratch and having the mindset that your calendar is full and opportunities are abundant!’.

2. What’s one piece of advice would you give your younger self?

   Mel: ‘Life is not a straight line, it’s a zig-zag; it’s okay to not always know what the next step is. The dots all come together at some point so don’t be afraid to say yes to things that right now you don’t know how they will fit or make perfect sense. Flow with the adventure’.

3. How do you set your day up for success?

   Mel: ‘I’m a real morning person and I used to love doing exercise first thing in the morning; I love the feeling of waking up before the world and getting active. I’m trying to find that again now that I have a baby; I haven’t mastered it completely but we keep trying, even if it’s a 10-minute meditation, stretching, or even a cold shower. I keep asking myself how I want to show up every day and trying to do something to get me in the right mindset for just that. ‘

2 quotes

‘“We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to-do’ list.” —Michelle Obama’

“Balance is not better time management, but better boundary management.” —Betsy Jacobson

1 podcast recommendation

Did you enjoy this first newsletter?

See you back tomorrow!

Mar 🐙