Finding the Balance between Work and Life
Still focusing on the theme of the upcoming new year, I wanted to revisit a topic that proved popular in 2016. The art of balancing your work and your life is something in which entrepreneurs and sole proprietors must excel.
- What is it that you care about?
- What matters to you?
- What will be your New Year's resolutions?
As much as we care about our businesses, we care more about what we're providing and how we're making the world a better place.
What excites you day in and day out about your business?
If you’ve started your own business, you’ve no doubt discovered that being an entrepreneur is not easy. One of the keys to maintaining a successful professional and personal life is to remain in balance. But, what does work life balance mean to you? What, if anything, is being sacrificed? Is your time spent at work balanced with your time spent with your family?
For me, I enjoy spending time with and being available to my husband and daughter. But, I also love my job and love being a consultant. I know I am in balance between the two when I feel satisfied with the work I've done for the day and am ready to go home to my family. I know I'm ready to start work when my family cup is full.
Does your income necessity make you feel stressed? Do deadlines, clients, and the money that you need to run your life cause you to be motivated to work more and cause an imbalance? If so, you’re moving out of instinct and not will. The difference between the two is, instinct feels narrow; it leaves you with little or no options. For some, stress is relational; they may feel as though customers can’t be let down. You need customers to feel happy, proud, or fulfilled by your product or service. Another stressor is a sense of ambition and drive to get it done the best, have the best product, meet the need like no other, and wanting to be a leader and be visible. Ambition can be a stressor, and can stem from childhood issues of wanting to prove someone right or wrong.
Prioritize
Make a priority list for your personal and business lives. Determine what your priorities are at each level. Level 50 is the greater good or worldview priority. Level 30 is the overall goal and priorities of the business, and lastly, what are the daily priorities. Write down what you love or hate about your job; every hour, write what you did and then write whether you liked doing it or not. Time management is about managing tasks with the amount of time you have; so allot 50% more time than you think you need. Make your to-do list without deadlines, allow your priorities to shift, and be wiling to delegate.
Manage Your Time
Time management is usually the thing people turn to when they need to make a change to feel less stressed. But I would challenge you to look at your priority list and determine what is atop the list. Whether it's customer service, the quality of product you offer, making a difference on the planet, etc. Your business priorities will tell you where you should be spending your time the most and first.
Make a list of what you love and hate about your job. This will be the basis for your time management system, which is about managing tasks with the time you have. make your to-do list without deadlines unless there's a hard and fast deadline, let your priorities shift and be willing to delegate.