The Work Life Balance Interview Series: Best Selling Author Sheila Weller

I believe maintaining work life balance is a universal challenge. In other words, whether you’re working full-time, part-time, inside the home, outside the home, with kids or without, we all have experienced the stress of being overcommitted and the satisfaction of feeling on top of things, even if that moment is fleeting.

That said, I’m very interested in what others think about work life balance. So I decided to start an interview series to find out what successful professionals in various fields have to say about work life balance. I think you’ll enjoy their perspectives as much as I did!

Today’s Interview is with Sheila Weller

Sheila Weller, author of six books and winner of several journalism prizes, is a Contributing Editor at Vanity Fair and Glamour magazines. She also occasionally blogs at The Huffington Post. Her most recent book, GIRLS LIKE US: CAROLE KING, JONI MITCHELL, CARLY SIMON — AND THE JOURNEY OF A GENERATION, spent eight weeks on the New York Times best seller list.

What does work life balance mean to you?

That’s a good question. By that I mean, when I was younger and my son was growing up (he’s 26 and happily on his own), I’d say it meant being able to have a work life that didn’t keep you from being a totally involved mom. Being a freelance writer, I was lucky that I could. But now that he’s out of the house, my husband, who’s also a writer, and I work pretty much all the time! We’re both work-focused, self-absorbed, independent, and our marriage works because we never make undue demands on each other. So I don’t think I’m an ideal candidate for “work life balance” now! I guess I’d have to say, contrarianly, that I’m a believer that work life unbalanced people have their own integrity and, hey, let’s hear it for us! Obsessed writers and others!

On a work life balance scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being in perfect balance and 1 being a state of utter chaos, where do you fit on the work life balance scale?

For the past seven years, I’ve been a 3.

What strategies or resources do you use to help maintain your work life balance (i.e., time management, productivity, efficiency, technology, services, books, etc.)

I like helping friends. I e-mail a lot. I go to an office , at Glamour magazine, so life can be social. I love driving and sometimes my best and most peaceful thoughts come from driving down country roads . . . going many, many miles just to buy a few food items and the NY Times.

How can you tell when you’re out of balance?

I gain weight, am cranky and have back aches.

How can you tell when you’re in balance?

I’m happy when people love the work I do, and love the things I say to try to help them and when we go out to dinner and all have fun. I don’t know if it’s balance, but it’s gratification.

Here’s the thing: When you’re a writer, you’re already expressing yourself, so work isn’t the onerous thing it can be to a less creative type. (Not that - believe me! — writing is always fun. Often it is hell! But at least it’s self-expression.) So a lot of “life” IS in the “work.” If I were a patent lawyer or on an auto assembly line, I’d sure as hell need balance in my life. But, as a writer, even if I’m hunched over the computer and eating at my desk so much that my yesterday’s plates of dried food crash into each other . . . I’m still “living” because writing is a very enlivening thing to do.

Do you think work life balance is solely a women’s issue? Why or why not?

No, it’s everyone’s issue. If your kids are young it’s more a woman’s issue. Women feel more guilty or out of sorts if they’re away from their kids, more than men.

How do you balance the benefits of mobile technology? Is it always good to be reachable?

I don’t have a Blackberry - that would be like a potential heroin addict getting a free hit every hour. I have a cell phone but, living in NYC, and not having young kids, you don’t need it that much. I’m not a big cell phone talker - those phones are too little and hard to hear. When I’m in the city or my country house or in my office I am ridiculously, absurdly linked to my e-mail.

What is your favorite place on earth and why?

Some island somewhere. I haven’t been to the beach in forever! I see ads and commercials and dream of an island, in the Caribbean . . . I’ll get there again one day!

What is your favorite “work” web site? “life” web site?

I go on DrudgeReport — it’s my newsstand. Then all the news sites and The Huffington Post, where I sometimes blog. Salon, Slate, Gawker! LOVE Gawker! Those are my sites — work, life, or whatever.

Please describe a typical day in your life when you are in work life balance?

• Wake up just before 7 a.m.
• Have coffee and try to watch opening of Good Morning America or TODAY show
• Check / answer / write e-mails and go to websites
• Do work interspersed with e-mails
• Either go to my office at Glamour or work from home , but always in front of the computer
• Sometimes a lunch date, interview, talks with colleagues
• Home to hubby - talk, improvised dinner, watch TV
• Go to bed with Charlie Rose on — I love falling asleep while watching Charlie Rose. My husband tells me in the morning, “He had a good show, but you fell asleep.” I feel cared for that I can fall asleep while we’re both watching Charlie Rose — go figure.

What accomplishment in your life are you most proud of?

Writing this last book of mine, GIRLS LIKE US: CAROLE KING, JONI MITCHELL, CARLY SIMON — AND THE JOURNEY OF A GENERATION. Hands down.

If you’re interested in winning a free copy of Sheila Weller’s best selling book, Girls Like Us, leave a comment on this Momsational giveaway post.