Balancing work and the good life

On day three of our work-life balance week we're looking at quality of life. What do we mean by it, how do we find it and can we fit work around it, asks Ian Wylie
www.guardian.co.uk , Wednesday April 23 2008

As part of the Guardian's work-life balance week we're looking at the issue of quality of life. What do we mean when we talk about a better quality of life, how do we find it and how do we fit work around it?

People mean many different things when they speak about quality of life. Low crime rates, fresh air to breathe, good restaurants, access to the countryside or coast; any of these could be an interpretation of the good life.

However, quality of life seems to be determined mostly by where we live and work. Next month, employee consultancy Mercer publishes its latest annual Quality of Living survey - a ranking of cities around the world. It says there are some factors that most people agree on as being important for having good quality of living standards, such as safety and security, reliable health care, transport infrastructure, good housing and schooling and recreation opportunities.

Ignoring Samuel Johnson's advice on being tired of London, I quit the capital almost 15 years ago to go freelance and live in Newcastle. I think I can remember telling surprised colleagues that I thought the quality of life would be better in the north-east. And I definitely recall one of them - a northerner from Sheffield to boot - predicting I'd soon come crawling back. "If you're serious about your career as a journalist, you need to be in London," she scolded.

I don't doubt that there was truth in what she said. If you want to reach the pinnacle of some professions - journalism, advertising, banking, law, to name but a few - London is the only place to be. But I make a reasonable living and believe the career sacrifices I've made are worth it - to be able to live, with my family, in a place we enjoy what we consider to be a decent quality of life.

For us it's the north-east - after all, a report this week by the Institute for Public Policy Research claims it's Britain's most neighbourly region - but for others it's Scotland, Yorkshire, Devon, New Zealand - or even London.

We're talking all this week about balance. When it comes to enjoying a good quality of life, the best balance to be struck is where you - and not your career - dictate where you live. We've got tips on how you can do just that, and on the blog, Dr Frank Shaw of the Centre for Future Studies looks at how technology is set to make life even easier for those of us who want to work away from the office. Read about his vision of the future and have your say.