Lots of people eschew the idea of work-life balance. It’s unattainable, it’s a construct, etc. But truly, “balance” is highly individual and is constantly changing – the part that people can’t get their heads around. It’s not like there is some pot-of-gold endpoint we’re moving toward; based on your life circumstances, your balance will look different at different times.
In my opinion, however, what you should try to avoid (through self-knowledge, confidence, and intentionality) is the extremes. When life throws a major curveball, we try to adjust back to someplace more sustainable. When things get boring, we mix it up with by welcoming change.
My guest on today’s podcast episode exemplifies this idea. Dr. Errin Weisman is a physician, life coach, podcaster and mother of three. Because of her personal experience with professional burnout early in her career, Errin speaks openly with straight, raw honesty about her story, so she can help others who are in that same place. She currently practices family and addiction medicine in rural Indiana, and she lives on a farm with her husband (who happens to be a farmer), 3 children, alpacas, and chickens. Errin also enjoys getting mud on her shoes, teaching her children how to catch tadpoles and reading a great fantasy fiction novel.
We discuss Errin’s journey through burnout, a thriving period of entrepreneurship, and her recent clinical work in addiction medicine. She has been through great depths and peaks in work-life balance: from barely surviving to actively thriving. Along the way, she’s learned a tremendous amount about herself.
I know Errin through my participation in the Physician Coaching Alliance (an organization she founded), so I learned all sorts of things about her interesting path in clinical medicine. You can find our conversation in the player below, or wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts.
Lean Out Podcast: Gratitude with Mary Leung