Slow down! That essentially is the advice from author Brooke McAlary in her book Slow: Live Life Simply (2017, Allen &Unwin). I was pleasantly surprised how much I related to this book.
Drawing on her own experiences, McAlary outlines well the difficulties of modern life, including the myth of ‘work-life balance’, and the pointless aim of ‘keeping up with the Joneses’. Offering a smorgasbord of strategies to deal with these pressures, McAlary is honest about the challenges and openly admits her own failings in striving to slow down.
Primarily using her own experience, McAlary outlines what strategies have worked for her in trying to balance work, family and personal well-being. What I really appreciate in this book is how the author also outlines what hasn’t worked for her and takes pains to stress that there is no one right way, and each of us needs to experiment to find what works best for us.
I found her strategies very relatable (although not all work for me), particularly the concept of ‘Wobbly Balance’, when referring to work-life balance. By the time I got to the end of the book, I was already trying new things, making small changes to my life, and enjoying the benefits. And the stress had already started to disappear.
The book is really well organised, and very easy to read.
It would appeal to a wide range of readers, and leaders would benefit greatly from many of the strategies. I highly recommend this book.
Reviewed by Dr Warrick Long, Avondale Business School