Confessions of a Facilitation Artist

The Big Bad Lie about Work-Life Balance


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Right now, my priority is the podcast over polished Substack posts due to time constraints as a busy working mom—listen for the full, unedited conversation!

In this episode of Confessions of a Facilitation Artist, I dive into chapters 8 and 9 of The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, busting the myths of “a balanced life” and “big is bad.”

What I Talked About

I share raw reflections on shifting from full-time work to part-time (25 hours/week) to build The Meeting Kitchen while prioritizing family time with my boys (ages 6 and 10). I navigate tensions amid personal losses—my sister’s terminal cancer, a neighbor’s death, a friend’s illness, and my former CEO’s passing—highlighting life’s fragility at age 47. Despite seeking balance, I grind harder in AI product innovation and business growth, questioning my path.

Key Insights

* Counterbalancing over balance: Ditch static “work-life balance” for intentional swings—like a ballerina’s micro-adjustments or a pendulum—leaning into extremes seasonally for extraordinary results, without neglecting health or relationships long-term.

* Glass vs. rubber balls: Prioritize irreplaceable “glass” balls (family, health, integrity); work balls bounce back, so focus trade-offs within work for high-impact priorities.

* Big is bad myth: Small actions yield small outcomes; fearing big dreams sabotages success—I confess my pull to “safe” AI skill-building might avoid bolder moves for The Meeting Kitchen.

Questions to Ponder

* Where am I staying “safely in the middle” instead of leaning into an extreme for a season?

* What are my glass balls that can’t be dropped?

* Where might fear whisper “big is bad,” and what would doubling one goal look like?

What’s next?

I’ll be back next week with part two of The One Thing, and perhaps I’ll bring back the blog version, but let me know if you miss it. Thanks!

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Confessions of a Facilitation ArtistBy Monica Joy Krol, Creative & On Purpose!