NEW: Samantha McDonald

There’s a reason for that word ‘balance’ in the title of this blog – don’t let one end of the see-saw spoil the game for everyone.

A timely tap on the shoulder

This week, I had a bit of a rude awakening myself with regards to work/life balance. I was going along on my merry way, running workshops for three weekends straight, in two different cities, along with my regular coaching, running here and there, and basically running myself ragged. And seriously, when I do that, I do it well!

There is no middle of the road when I get on a roll – I am human, after all – and it wasn’t until my partner made mention of what I was doing (in a tone that was less than impressed) that I realised the error of my ways.

Yes, it’s great to have a career; yes, it’s great to have a business; yes, it’s really great to have freedom of choice and the ability to do what I want; and, no, it’s not so great when it compromises my family… Sure, working hard is great for the pocket, but what price do you put on your family?

I have a very supportive family environment. My partner was luckily free from his own business on the three weekends that I worked, and so he was willing and able to look after our toddler daughter.

However, when he pointed out how much the little one missed her Mummy, and how my work was encroaching not only on my own structured freedom but on the structured freedom of others, I had to stop and take a good look at myself.

I told him that this kind of workload doesn’t happen all the time, and that it’s important to take the work when it’s presented to you. But, even as I said it, I knew that I had compromised my own principles and the principles that I instill in others.

Nothing is more important to me than family. Work is a way to help provide for the family, and keep me sane, and at the end of the day, I need to remember that it’s just a means to an end. And at the end there’s just my family and me.

Sound familiar to you?

Samantha McDonald started off her working life in the music industry in Adelaide before moving to Sydney to work in recruitment and training. At 28, she became a personal and business coach and started Dare Coaching & Seminars.

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