29-Work Life Rhythm
Work Life Rhythm
Show Notes
Hosts: Jody Holland, Meghan Slaughter, and Maleah Grigsby
Episode Summary
Forget work-life balance — this episode makes the case for work-life rhythm. Jody, Meghan, and Maleah challenge the idea that there's a universal formula for balancing work and life, arguing instead that every person has a unique rhythm of work, play, and rest, and that feeling "out of balance" is really feeling out of rhythm.
The conversation covers why boundaries and balance must go hand in hand, how technology and social media blur the lines between work and home, the power of physical separation between work and rest spaces, and the unique challenges of working from home. Jody reframes obsession with work — noting we celebrate it in athletes but pathologize it at a desk — and introduces the difference between harmonious passion (chosen) and laborious passion (forced). The episode closes with the "running the bases" goal-setting framework: psychological well-being first, then physical health, then personal relationships, and only then professional goals. You don't score the run by jumping up and down on home plate — you have to run the bases.
Key Learning Points
- Balance is individual — find your rhythm. There is no one-size-fits-all definition of work-life balance. Each person has their own rhythm of work, play, and rest, and feeling "out of balance" is a signal that you're out of rhythm.
- Boundaries make balance possible. Define the hours you take calls and protect them. When you're with a client (or your family), they deserve your full attention. Communicate your boundaries clearly so others respect your time.
- Technology blurs the lines. Texts, emails, and social media notifications let work bleed into home and home bleed into work. Be intentional: put the phone away during focused work, and consider keeping work email off your phone in the evenings.
- Presence creates productivity. When you're mentally, emotionally, and physically present at work, realistic hours are enough. Doing "life stuff" at work and "work stuff" at home creates your own imbalance.
- We celebrate obsession on the field and pathologize it at a desk. If loving your work gives you the feelings you're looking for, that's harmonious passion — and it's healthy. If you're forced into long hours and miserable, that's laborious passion, and it's a different problem entirely.
- Movement unlocks creative thinking. Walks, disc golf breaks, and gym sessions shift your brain out of restrictive "I have to get this done" thinking and into creative "I wonder if..." thinking. Flow states filter out irrelevant information so you can tune in to what matters.
- Physically separate work and rest. Take breaks away from your desk, and don't answer emails in bed. Your brain can't separate work from rest when they happen in the same place — a challenge that's especially real for those working from home.
- Build in recovery time. Intense seasons of work (60–70 hour weeks before a big event) are fine — if downtime follows. Without recovery, an emotional crash is coming.
- You're measured by output, not input. Clients pay for outcomes, not hours. Success is determined by the quality of your work, not how many hours of overtime you log.
- Run the bases. First base: psychological well-being. Second base: physical well-being. Third base: personal relationships. Home plate: professional goals. You can't score the run without running the bases in order — and each person needs a different number of goals at each base.
- Rhythm shifts with seasons of life. Your balance will look different when family, a big project, or an event takes priority. That's okay, as long as you're still taking care of yourself.
- Live the memory you want to leave. Measure your daily actions against how you want to be remembered — personally and professionally. Actions create connection.
Quotable Moments
"When you feel right in your work, you do right with your work." — Jody Holland
"There's no set explanation for what balance is for everybody across the board. It's very individualized. You have to find what works for you." — Meghan Slaughter
"We celebrate obsession when it's on the field and we pathologize it when it's at a desk." — Jody Holland
"It's not selfish to take care of yourself." — Meghan Slaughter
"Don't sit at the same place where you do your work to take your brain break. Your brain can't separate the two." — Maleah Grigsby
"I do my best business thinking while exercising... When you're at your desk, you're thinking 'I gotta get this done.' At the gym, you're thinking 'I wonder if...' — and I like the 'I wonder if' stuff." — Jody Holland
"'I'd like to' works so much better than 'I have to.'" — Jody Holland
"Your success is not determined by how many hours you work overtime. Your success is determined directly by the quality of work that you do during that time." — Maleah Grigsby
"You're never perfectly balanced. You're always trying to figure out what you need to be doing to meet the demands on your life — and whether those demands are even realistic." — Jody Holland
"We're measured by our output, not by our input. Nobody cares how long it took you if it got done." — Jody Holland
"You don't score the run until you've run the bases. Your psychological well-being is first base... You have to run the bases to find your rhythm." — Jody Holland
"Do the things that you want to be remembered for, because actions create connection." — Jody Holland
Resources Mentioned
- The RHYTHM Check — A short diagnostic with a few questions to help you discover your ideal personal rhythm. (Link in show notes)
- Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi — Referenced in the discussion of flow states and filtering out irrelevant information.
Coming Up
Stay tuned for an upcoming episode on Personal Mission Statements — figuring out who you are at your core and what you hope to achieve.
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