Work-Life Balance is a Myth
Sign up to receive regular emails about living an integrated wholehearted life
I used to strive for balance
Now I believe it’s a myth. No matter how hard I tried, I was never able to achieve that perfect moment of Zen and harmony between all areas of my life.
Instead of bringing me joy, I felt defeated – more stressed, more burdened, and more defeated. In a radical move, brought on by intense life events, I decided to stop. I’d had enough of depleting myself trying to achieve an impossible standard.
Something remarkable happened next. Once I stopped trying to achieve perfect work-life balance, I discovered a third-way rhythm and integration, “a repeated pattern of movement” where work, life, play, relationships, rest, finances, friendships, and adventure could co-exist within my experience of each day.
This utterly transformed my life. Instead of endlessly striving for something that was unachievable, I began to experience my life as a complete whole where every valuable aspect was connected and worked together. I began to discover the Divine’s presence and meaning in places I had never noticed before.
From the outside, my life looks pretty much the same. I still work a full-time corporate career. I’m still married to the same woman. I still live in the same neighborhood. The only difference is me.
I’m no longer fragmented. I’m whole and integrated.
Let go of work-life balance and embrace the unforced rhythms of a fully integrated life. Embrace the mess, the beauty-the imperfection of integration.
Now, I invite you to experience the same.
Keep going-
Aaron
Fire your Boss
Fire Your Boss is the disruptive alternative blueprint for charting a new life-giving career path that gives you control, allowing you to set your own rules for your work life. Discover how to plot a new course of career freedom and independence, empowerment, and self-reliance. Find your smile again, rekindle your mojo, recapture the art of your work, and start enjoying your work every single day.
Get the Book Watch the trailerWork Life Play
In my podcast Work Life Play started in 2012, I used to think that work-life balance was achievable. Now I believe it’s a myth. Let go of work-life balance and embrace the unforced rhythms of a fully integrated life. Embrace the mess, the beauty-the imperfection of integration. 225+ episodes helping you live more fully in your adventure, explore a well-lived life, and find more meaning in your daily experience.
Available wherever you listen to podcasts. Keep going.
Featured Episodes
A Decade of Work Life Play Anniversary Edition
In this new decade anniversary celebration episode, Morgan Snyder is in the Work Life Play studio to interview me. We reflect on the decade of experiments, trusting the wisest voice […]
Listen NowHigher Power Nudges with Holden McHugh #198
Wise. Gracious, and he’s teaching me a lot about the power of building an everyday muscle. He talks about how he makes decisions waiting for nudges from “Higher Power” and his brave beginnings of sobriety.
Listen NowWhy We Need a Whole Heart| My talk from my book release #177
Usually, I wouldn’t write an introduction to a podcast episode that I am the “guest” or the speaker. But hey, this is the best talk I’ve ever given at my […]
Listen NowA Brave Conversation with Yourself
In this Work Life Play Decade Anniversary episode, I explore the question, “When was the last time you had a brave conversation with yourself?” I’m proud to share these little […]
Listen Now100,000 Downloads: Then & Now Morgan Snyder Interviews Me Episode #138
Morgan Snyder, host of Become Good Soil podcast, and my close friend interviews me on Work Life Play in celebration of this podcast reaching 100,000 downloads. We titled it “Then […]
Listen NowDropping the Rock
In this Work Life Play Decade Anniversary episode, I explore dropping the rock of old unhelpful stories I’d told myself, limiting my experience of today. You may have a rock […]
Listen NowHow I Burned Out and Came Back Episode #54
If you’ve ever burned out, flirted with the idea of burn out or could envision that burn out is in your future, you’ll identify with my story. Burn out isn’t […]
Listen NowI Bet My Life On What I Believe Episode #160
My savings account just hit zero. We’ve bet our life on what we believe, and I’d like to shoot straight with you about what its been like the last seven […]
Listen NowField Reports
Navigating is easier with a guide and a map. In my blog, Field Reports, I share my experiences and thoughts on living and leading with a whole heart, and creating a life where work, life, play, relationships, rest, finances, friendships, and adventure co-exist within each day.
Featured Posts
Why I believe Work-Life Balance is a Myth
Let go of work-life balance and embrace the unforced rhythms of a fully integrated life. I used to think that work-life balance was achievable.Now I believe it is a myth.No […]
Read MoreThe Master in the Art of Living
My friend Sam has this quote from James Michener in his Hawaiian home on the hillside above Waimea. His playful life disrupted mine more than a decade ago. I didn’t […]
Read MoreTrip Report: Alaska’s Gates of the Arctic
“Alaska’s Ultimate Wilderness,” The Brooks Range-North America’s Northernmost mountain range is home to The Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. In early June of 2021, our adventure trio Chris, […]
Read MoreCommence Reboot: How We Rebooted Our Life and Started Over
We thought about buying a zoo. Our second option was to live in a tour bus. Our life was in need of a reboot. We thought Anne Lamott’s prescription just […]
Read MoreTrip Report: Backpacking The Weminuche High Route
Deep in Colorado’s largest wilderness area, our adventure trio, Chris, Dave, and I, were hunting “spectacular plateaus of rolling tundra, ripsaw ridges, cliff-ringed lakes, and lush midsummer wildflowers” on The […]
Read MoreTrip Report: Adventure Awaits Colorado’s Winter Backcountry Huts & Yurts
We weren’t sure if the wood burning stovetop would be too hot to serve as a griddle for our pancakes. Alex improvised by adding a stick of butter to the […]
Read MoreExplorers Manifesto
Thirteen of us just completed our maiden Explorers journey. Our bakers dozen, explored the frontier edges of big questions through a combination of Zoom virtual sessions and an in-person adventure […]
Read MorePierce the veneer of outside things
“We had pierced the veneer of outside things… We had reached the naked soul of men.” — Ernest Shackleton, South The veneer of outside things exists in polished half-truths. “I’m great. […]
Read MoreTrip Report: The Channel Islands National Park Adventure 25 miles off California Coast
Snorkel Sea caves by headlamp. Cliff jump into sublime mermaid enclaves and Sea kayak beginner-friendly pirate escape routes and dodge high-tide blowholes. Picture the Galapagos Islands of South America, but […]
Read MoreBe Who You Are And…
I came across this quote in my friend Katie Arnold’s book, Running Home. I’ve known, heard and even claimed that I’m comfortable in my own skin. I like being me. […]
Read MoreReboot Live
Reboot is a revolutionary, experiential, and brilliantly crafted workshop to help you rediscover what’s most important to you and stop what’s not working. We’ll dig deep together to help you get unstuck, throw off limiting beliefs, and help you architect a sustainable life you want to live.
Learn MoreEnergizing Keynotes for Embracing Life
Bring inspiration and energy to your event with Aaron’s signature keynotes, Rebooting Your Life and Acting Like a Pro 8 Minutes At a Time. Aaron will teach your audience how to architect their work and life for sustainable joy and to embrace the adventure of living their real lives.
Invite Aaron to SpeakAaron McHugh was an outstanding keynote at USA Cycling’s Coaching Summit. In the coaching world it is imperative to be and act like a pro. Aaron’s anecdotal stories and life experiences were easy for coaches to understand and apply to their world. Aaron knows what it means to go PRO.