It's been almost 9 months since my last post and I figured it was time for a life update! I've been practicing what I preach and ruthlessly eliminating anything in my life that did not help me take care of what is most important to me. Over the past 9 months, that has meant that the Elegant Balance podcast and blog had to take a break. But... I'm back!

In this episode, I’m chatting with my guest, Ruthie Sterrett from the Consistency Corner about the power of choosing a word of the year. If you’re ready to live intentionally in 2024, you won’t want to miss it!

In this episode, I’m visiting with my friend, Dr. Stephanie Kunst. She is sharing her experiences as an Elegant Balance Academy student with you! We discuss the challenges she faced and the way the Elegant Balance Academy helped her create a work-life balance she loves - leaving her feeling more present and patient than ever before!

As summer's relaxed days fade, the school routine takes center stage. While some may long for structure, others might be reluctant to bid farewell to those carefree summer moments. Amidst this shift, I've found myself pondering ways to make the transition smoother for everyone involved.

As I walked and let my mind wander, I came to the conclusion that the mantra “quality over quantity” could apply to so many aspects of working women’s lives. And when truly embraced, help us along on our journey towards an elegantly balanced life.

When we apply that concept to our own work-life balance we end up with a work-life balance that is beautiful in its simplicity and effectiveness. An elegant balance is about rejecting the notion that having a career and children must be overwhelming and stressful. Sure, we all have our moments, but we don’t accept that as our fate. Instead, pursuing an elegantly balanced life involves defining our ideally balanced life and pursuing it passionately; curating each aspect of our lives so as to maximize simplicity, beauty, and joy.

You don’t “achieve” work-life balance. It is not some end-goal that you will wake up one day having achieved, never to be thought of again. It’s a journey.

I'm sure you've seen those dreamy Pinterest closets that seem to have it all – chandeliers, endless racks of designer clothes, and sparkly accents. While we may not have the luxury of a walk-in closet the size of a child’s bedroom, we can still take inspiration from these closets and replicate the details that make them so beautiful in our own closets.

If spring cleaning my home makes me feel this good, what else could I “spring clean?” Where in my life could I use a fresh start? Some decluttering? Some renewal? I decided to look at my daily routines. Seeing as they are daily, they literally impact my life each and every day. And if you’re like me, you may have fallen into some not-so-great habits with regards to your routines.

Sunday is also the perfect day to set yourself up for a successful week. With a little bit of planning and a few small actions, you can ensure that your week goes smoothly. Here are five things that I do (and that you can do too) on Sunday to prepare for a better week ahead.

Think about your favorite dress – the one that fits you like a glove, hugging you in all the right places, and makes you feel confident and powerful, ready to conquer world. Now, imagine having that same feeling, but with your job. What if your job could be tailor-made for you? What if it was designed to align with your strengths, interests, and values? That's what job crafting is all about.

Not only had I not read the book, but I had also never even heard of hygge. I’m sure my expression was one of complete confusion as I turned to her and said “What in the world is hygge?!” Being the researcher that I am, I immediately checked out every hygge book I could find at the library. I loved the concept so much that I slowly started incorporating more and more hygge into my family’s everyday lives. It didn’t take long before my kids started requesting hygge (sitting by the fire each evening with dimmed lights, soft music, and board games) and it has now become a Hackney family evening routine.

Since this time of year is one for dreaming, goal-setting, and planning and because my guess is that many of you would love to have a better work-life balance in 2023, I thought I’d share three simple steps to creating a better work-life balance; an elegant balance. These three steps are the framework around which the entire Elegant Balance Academy (my new online course that launches soon) is built.

There’s nothing worse than looking forward to a nice morning spent sipping coffee from your favorite coffee shop only to find that you forgot an essential tool to complete your work. It usually means that you’re either 1) not going to be as productive as you’d like to be or 2) you have to get your coffee to-go and head home so that you can complete your work. I don’t want either of those to happen to you!

I’ve been intentionally pursuing a better work-life balance for over 7 years. Throughout that time, my husband and I have found a few somewhat unusual (or at least unpopular) ways to make things easier on ourselves. I hope it sparks some new, creative ways that you can create a better work-life balance for yourself.

We want to put work back in its place. Yes, your work can be enjoyable and meaningful but it’s not the only part of your life. You’re so much more multi-faceted than that! By adding luxury to our daily lives, we can elevate our experiences in each of the roles we play. Making life more fun!

I like to focus on the things that you have control over but your organization is a key actor in your work-life balance experience. As your will soon see, many of them are related to employee benefits and I want to encourage you to go back and check your employee handbook or go talk to HR because it’s quite possible that you aren’t aware of all the benefits available to you and if they can help you create the life you want, then there’s no reason to leave them sitting on the table!