The Five Truths about Work-life Balance , by Jae Ellard

Pin It

How to balance your roles and relationships.

This book couldn’t have landed on the review desk at JAQUO HQ at a better time. Like so many of us, I have many roles and wear lots of different hats every day  – and we all know how hard it can be to juggle these successfully. And few of us manage it.

But this eminently down-to-earth approach will be invaluable in helping you to achieve it. Achieve what exactly? Well, as the author explains right at the beginning of the book, that balance will mean different things to different people. I was so delighted to read this positive approach.

You see, I admit to being something of a workaholic who loves taking on new challenges and other books I have seen on the subject of balancing your life has had preconceived ideas of exactly what that balance should be. But Jae Ellard has a flexible and far more practical approach.

Another huge advantage here is that she is an expert at getting her point across succinctly. If you’re busy like me – and who isn’t – then you won’t have time to wade through a massive tome of dos and don’ts. The five truths are handed to you in a creative graphic way; a way in which you can quickly understand and very easily assimilate. Let’s call it a no-nonsense guide.

Next, I was impressed by the no-black-and-white approach she takes to life. For there are no concrete answers; one size does not fit all. As she explains, our lives change all the time. Circumstances change, jobs change, the family changes, change is all around us. We have to learn to adapt when those changes come along.

Yet the author also explains that often, we are creating the imbalance in our lives ourselves – by our actions certainly, but also by what we don’t do. And on the subject of ‘don’t’, unlike other books of this type, Ms Ellard points out that to achieve our desired balance we do not have to do things that so many books on a similar subject tend to advocate. We do not have to:

  • Stop going online
  • Eat more vegetables
  • Join a gym
  • Change our routine
  • Wait until the kids get to college
  • Mediate
  • Find new friends
  • Stop eating sweets

Or my personal favourite:

  • Read self-help books!

Because this book is so creatively presented, you’ll be able to read it while you’re in the doctor’s waiting room, during your short train journey to work, when you’re waiting for the rice to cook or during your lunch break. And before long, you will have the power to achieve true balance in your life.

Scroll down to see and listen to the author to learn more.

Author’s Bio:

After years in senior communication roles crafting content for executives, Jae collapsed from stress-related adrenal fatigue. This life-altering experience propelled her to research human behavior, neuroscience, mindfulness, and organizational relationship systems.

In 2008, Jae founded Simple Intentions and developed the Mindful Life™ Program, which includes four group coaching workshops to generate reflection, awareness and action at the organizational and individual levels. Jae has taught the skill of awareness to thousands of employees at multinational corporations in more than 50 countries including China, Russia, India, Japan, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Germany, United Kingdom, Norway, and the United States.

Jae contributes to the Awareness at Work column for Mindful Magazine, the Healthy Living section on Huffington Post as well as the Simple Intentions blog. Jae has a master’s degree in Communication Management from Colorado State University and a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Communication from Metropolitan State College of Denver. She holds certificates in co-active coaching and organizational relationship systems coaching and is the author of seven books.

Connect with the author:   Website   Twitter   Facebook

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jackie Jackson, also known online as BritFlorida, is a highly experienced designer and writer. British born and now living in the USA, she specialises in lifestyle issues, design and quirky stories. You can see a wide range of articles here, or visit her website Tastes Magazine. See The Writer’s Door for more information.

Author: Jackie Jackson

Share This Post On

2 Comments

  1. Thank you so much for taking the time to review The Five Truths About Work-Life Balance! We appreciate it, Jackie!

    Cheers,

    Jae and the Simple Intentions team

    • I love the book! It’s a very different approach, so practical and understandable. I highly recommend it 🙂

Submit a Comment