The Five Truths About Work-Life Balance: A Book Review

Like most professionals, work-life balance has always been the ultimate goal for me. The idea of achieving just the right pace and allotting just the right hours for everything in my life is sheer perfection. I’ve read plenty of books and articles regarding this matter, even integrated some techniques to achieve it, but somehow I always come out short. Somehow, I can’t seem to find the perfect formula, the perfect combination to achieve what I really want. 

Then, I read, Jan Ellard’s The Five Truths About Work-Life Balance, and suddenly all became clear.

Ellard’s book is very succinct. At times, the words are dwarfed by streamlined graphics and white space. However, her presentation does not diminish the overall theme rooted in her work. In fact, it’s in these elaborate pages she manages to encourage readers: to seek their own definition of a work-life balance, to commit to it, and essentially make a choice. Because there is no perfect formula or an ideal combination to follow; according to her, we define our own work-life balance, an it’s up to us to follow through on it. 

And that is perhaps what I love most about this book: Ellard’s words, though short and sweet, pack an inspirational and encouraging spirit. The fact that she emphasizes the control we have regarding the ultimate balance we seek, that there’s no right and wrong tactic to reach it, makes work-life balance even more possible for me.  She drives this point several times throughout her book stating, “there are as many ways as there are people on the planet to describe what living a balance life would feel like…” 

And she’s absolutely right. 

Ellard’s Five Truths is a simple reminder that it’s ok to have a work-balance that differs from another. That it’s ok to spread your time between things that you love and things that you have to do, that it’s ok to be a little selfish at times. It’s ok because this is our choice; it’s ok because that’s what works for us and our lives. It’s ok because that’s how it’s supposed to be, so it’s ok to erase that guilt of not being balanced once and for all. 

Because in reality, if we do what’s best, then we are balanced, and that’s what matters most. 

So if you’re looking for a quick read packed with inspirational points and encouraging words about work-life balance, then the Five Truths... might be right for you.  Ellards words are truly an eye-opening, thoughtful, and certainly worth the read. 

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