This is not a transcript but a companion to my video. To hear the full reflection in my own voice and setting, you can watch it here:
I’ve been thinking lately about balance, and how differently it looks for each of us, especially in the later stages of life. This came to me again as I spent the evening working in my woodland. Shifting logs, clearing paths, tending to the land. There’s something grounding about physical effort, especially when much of my time is spent in the world of words: writing books, publishing reflections, responding to messages.
For me, balance isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing differently. About moving between brain and body, intensity and rest, solitude and connection.
Some people restore themselves with silence or stillness. Others crave laughter, music, or movement. It’s not the what that matters, but the why. When life starts to feel tilted; too much screen time, too many deadlines, too many “shoulds”, nature calls me back to centre.
As I reflect on my own work history, I can see how easily the scales tipped. I used to say yes to everything. To work late, to skip dinner with friends, to defer joy. There’s a cost to that kind of unbalanced living, and we don’t always notice until years later.
Now, I try to ask a different set of questions:
- Does this rhythm feel right for me now?
- Am I living in a way that honours what I value?
- Am I letting who I was, even last year, override who I am now becoming?
One simple practice I shared in the video is this:
Look back over the past week.
Ask yourself: did you make time for what matters? Did you move your body in the way it needs? Did you connect with someone you care about? The answers aren’t to judge but to inform. Looking back gives us insight so we can look forward with intention.
I also spoke about time-boxing, a technique that helps me keep what matters in my diary. Swimming, strength training, time in the wood. These aren’t “extras.” They’re what allow everything else to flow. When something urgent arises, I shift the time rather than delete it. That small decision, repeated over time, builds a life that feels more aligned.
None of us gets it right every week. And “balance” isn’t static, it shifts with the seasons of our lives. But pausing to notice, to ask, to adjust, that’s where change begins.
To hear more, including the three words I chose to close with, words I hope might resonate with you too, watch the video here:
If this spoke to you, I share reflections like this regularly on Substack and LinkedIn. Sometimes from the page, sometimes from the woodland path.
