A Spectrum of Possibilities…
Work-life balance. A well-known term, but so difficult to achieve. Most people at some stage will go through the juggling act of work vs life priorities. Making sure you don’t miss date night with your partner, keeping up your weekly gym routine, trying to keep on top of family commitments. But as most parents know, when little ones come into the picture, that balance becomes even more critical.
I have never been a person to stay at home. It’s not right or wrong, it’s just not me. I love practising law. I love helping companies and individuals resolve issues, add value and just generally learning new things every day about the law and its operation.
However, about 3 years ago my idea of work-life balance changed significantly. I was a mother of three children. Two of my children were at school and one was in day care. My husband worked full time and I practised as a lawyer both in private practise and then in-house. It was hectic, but with a great support network of family and friends, the balance was possible. Then everything changed.
At the beginning of 2017 (when my little boy, Jayden, was 2 years old), we started to notice he was not developing like other children his age. Mother’s instinct told me ‘something wasn’t right’ so I took him to see his paediatrician, and in July 2017 our little boy was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Our lives were never the same. But not in a bad way – just different.
Yes, life is full of challenges now, with lots of therapy appointments (fortnightly speech and occupational therapy, weekly social group and bi-annual paediatrician appointments) and daily struggles for Jayden to do the ‘simple things’. But along with the challenges, the diagnosis also gave us the gift of perspective. It made us stop and reassess our lives and consider what is really important. We now appreciate all of our daily achievements, and we work together through all the challenges.
Not only did the diagnosis change our home life, but it also made us realise that this notion of ‘balance’ that we often only spoke about, now needed to be real! I needed to actively find a way to balance being a mother for my three children (which meant being physically available for all the extra appointments support and daily challenges), but at the same time, I needed to also fulfil my own passion in practising law. And this is where Spectrum Lawyers was born.
Whilst experiencing this new world of having a child ‘on the Spectrum’ it also dawned on me that business was the same. Every day was a filled with a spectrum of challenges and rewards. That’s how I wanted to operate my business. I wanted to add practical value to business’ and individuals who were faced with challenges. Then present them with a spectrum of solutions and practical advice, so they could see the rewards in business/life and feel the sense of making a difference. I also realised this didn’t need to be limited to 8am to 5pm (or even later) Mondays to Fridays. I could offer flexibility, working remotely or at a client’s home / office to achieve their desired outcomes.
With Jayden’s help, I’ve finally been able to achieve a genuine work-life balance. Which means I can offer the best of myself to my family and my clients.
Life always presents us with a spectrum of challenges and possibilities. Please contact us to see how we might be able to support you through some of these challenges.