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47: On Legacy, Purpose, and Finding Work-Life Balance When You're Working as a Politician and Elected Official
In this episode, I sit down with Johnson Situ, a political advisor and diplomat who has dedicated his career to politics and public service.
He also happens to be the first politician that I've hosted on this podcast, so I took full advantage of asking him all about what it takes to pursue a work-life balance when you're an elected public figure, and when your work is driven so strongly by your ideals, beliefs and values. Are you always on the clock?
I'm pleased to say that I got more than just a politician's answer to these questions, and more!
In fact, Johnson's openness in talking about how his values are integrated into all of his work-life balance choices, and how they've been influenced by pivotal moments in his upbringing, were incredibly powerful and thought-provoking.
As well as this, we also touch on Johnson's experience of losing his beloved father at the formative age of twenty-one. As well as coping with the grief of his personal loss, Johnson describes mourning the future that his father never got to live: the dreams, the impact, the time that was cut short.
All this afforded Johnson with a profound clarity around how he wanted to use his time, how to make the most of living a life infused with purpose, and how recognising the fragility of life and success can help towards finding an inner sense of balance.
If you've ever wondered whether your day-to-day life aligns with the legacy you want to leave behind, then this episode is for you.
Throughout Johnson and my conversation, we cover:
🏘️ The experience of growing up on a council estate and navigating a school system where most peers left without qualifications
⚛️How to discover your core values—and why they should guide both your career and personal life
👥The unique challenges of finding balance in the early years of marriage
🌎The influence of being the child of immigrants, and how that shapes ambition and burnout across generations
❤️🩹How grief reshapes our relationship with time, purpose, and work
RELATED EPISODES:
On the Work-Life Balance of Children of Immigrants
On Finding Balance as a Career-Driven Family Man, When Work Takes Priority: Gilles’ Story: https://a-fine-balance.com/2023/04/02/a-fine-balance-the-podcast-season-2-episode-3-out-now/
The Pursuit of Balance When Undergoing Infertility Treatment, and How to Regain Balance and Find Purpose in Unexpected Circumstances: https://a-fine-balance.com/2025/04/23/the-pursuit-of-balance-when-undergoing-infertility-treatment-and-how-to-regain-balance-and-find-purpose-in-unexpected-circumstances-new-podcast-episode-out-today/
On Career Change
Routh’s Story – On Panic Attacks, Career Changes, and Regaining Balance After Hitting Rock Bottom: https://a-fine-balance.com/2024/12/07/rouths-story-on-panic-attacks-career-changes-and-regaining-balance-after-hitting-rock-bottom-new-podcast-episode-out-now/
On Finding Purpose
How to Reset Your Work-Life Balance by Mastering Four Internal Elements: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2yExfehxCiHkFQ141IMDid?si=QFqolUcHTdqOmO0-kpcwIg
View all episodes
By Dalya WittenbergIn this episode, I sit down with Johnson Situ, a political advisor and diplomat who has dedicated his career to politics and public service.
He also happens to be the first politician that I've hosted on this podcast, so I took full advantage of asking him all about what it takes to pursue a work-life balance when you're an elected public figure, and when your work is driven so strongly by your ideals, beliefs and values. Are you always on the clock?
I'm pleased to say that I got more than just a politician's answer to these questions, and more!
In fact, Johnson's openness in talking about how his values are integrated into all of his work-life balance choices, and how they've been influenced by pivotal moments in his upbringing, were incredibly powerful and thought-provoking.
As well as this, we also touch on Johnson's experience of losing his beloved father at the formative age of twenty-one. As well as coping with the grief of his personal loss, Johnson describes mourning the future that his father never got to live: the dreams, the impact, the time that was cut short.
All this afforded Johnson with a profound clarity around how he wanted to use his time, how to make the most of living a life infused with purpose, and how recognising the fragility of life and success can help towards finding an inner sense of balance.
If you've ever wondered whether your day-to-day life aligns with the legacy you want to leave behind, then this episode is for you.
Throughout Johnson and my conversation, we cover:
🏘️ The experience of growing up on a council estate and navigating a school system where most peers left without qualifications
⚛️How to discover your core values—and why they should guide both your career and personal life
👥The unique challenges of finding balance in the early years of marriage
🌎The influence of being the child of immigrants, and how that shapes ambition and burnout across generations
❤️🩹How grief reshapes our relationship with time, purpose, and work
RELATED EPISODES:
On the Work-Life Balance of Children of Immigrants
On Finding Balance as a Career-Driven Family Man, When Work Takes Priority: Gilles’ Story: https://a-fine-balance.com/2023/04/02/a-fine-balance-the-podcast-season-2-episode-3-out-now/
The Pursuit of Balance When Undergoing Infertility Treatment, and How to Regain Balance and Find Purpose in Unexpected Circumstances: https://a-fine-balance.com/2025/04/23/the-pursuit-of-balance-when-undergoing-infertility-treatment-and-how-to-regain-balance-and-find-purpose-in-unexpected-circumstances-new-podcast-episode-out-today/
On Career Change
Routh’s Story – On Panic Attacks, Career Changes, and Regaining Balance After Hitting Rock Bottom: https://a-fine-balance.com/2024/12/07/rouths-story-on-panic-attacks-career-changes-and-regaining-balance-after-hitting-rock-bottom-new-podcast-episode-out-now/
On Finding Purpose
How to Reset Your Work-Life Balance by Mastering Four Internal Elements: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2yExfehxCiHkFQ141IMDid?si=QFqolUcHTdqOmO0-kpcwIg