7 years on... get the help you need

How often do you find yourself using these phrases when your talking to yourself?

It's time to man up.

Take it on the chin.

Be committed.

Be strong.

Do what you say you'll do.

I think we all do at some stage.

I know you want to provide your family with everything they need - opportunities, experiences & comfort. But it's easy to be torn in two directions. Pulled in 2 directions by work and family life.

I know you wouldn't be here if you didn't want to make changes to your work life balance.

But if you are being honest with yourself, do you commit more to work and your boss than you do to your family?

When your work life balance is causing stress and a strain on your relationships, the easiest thing to do is to get your head down and work even harder.

But it takes real balls to do something about it.

To actually talk to someone

To open up a bit.

To admit to yourself that you need some help.

It's the reason there's a male health crisis in this country. We aren't very good at getting the help that can make a difference.

** 7 years ago yesterday, my friend Paul Burke, overcome with grief after the sudden loss of his 1 year old son, took his own life. He left a wife and 2 other young children behind. All because he didn't get the support he needed when he needed it.

Now, I'm not for one minute suggesting that any of the work life balance struggles we face are in any way comparable to what Burkey faced, but the pattern of Dads struggling on silently is real.

I can't give you the answer as to what is right for YOU and your FAMILY. It's very personal to you and you have to own the solution for yourself.

However, I know all about what it takes to manage your work life balance....

My wife routinely gets home at 11.30pm and leaves again for work at 7.30am. She's being doing that since September. Before that she'd get home at 8pm - which hardly counts as 'great' but at least it's before our children go to bed.

How do you survive that?

It takes effort and clarity of thought and a plan.

> The 3 minute video below reveals 3 things you need to be doing before you can truly make progress fixing your work life balance.

Need more inspiration? try these stories.

Will's story 

Matt's story 

No regrets 

It's time to be a real man.

GQ magazine found that the #1 aspect of modern masculinity, identified by 66% of Men was "being a present father".