There are several things everyone who has ever owned their own business have in common.
Everyone who owns their own business has to deal with the day-to-day decisions on how to grow their business. Everyone who owns their own business has to deal with marketing strategies, networking, cash flow analysis and perhaps the most common trial…
… how to balance their personal and professional life.
Now the good news is that this isn’t a lifelong strategy. Once you figure it out for yourself and learn to recognize what balance looks and feels like, then you can maintain it. The hard part, balance is relevant and unique to each individual. What is balanced to you may not be balanced for another.
Here are a few tips to strike your own personal balance between life and work.
#1 Are you happy? Happiness, your own happiness, is a key indicator to whether you’re living a balanced life or not. Of course, no one is happy all the time and the degree of our happiness changes from day to day but overall, are you happy?
- Are you content with your life and the direction it’s going?
- Do you feel fulfilled?
- Do you feel joyful?
- Are you able to retain a positive outlook on life?
#2 For the Type A personalities out there, track how much time you spend during the day on work related tasks and personal activities. Track this information, without changing how you do things, for a couple weeks and then analyze the data.
- How much time do you spend on work?
- How much time do you spend on personal?
- Do the numbers seem appropriate to you or would you rather adjust them a bit?
#3 How happy are your family members and friends? The truth is that sometimes we have so much fun at our job we do it to the exclusion of all else. That doesn’t mean your life is out of balance however you may be neglecting friends and family. If this is the case, set aside time, schedule it if you have to, to be with your friends and family on a regular basis. It’s well worth the effort.
#4 Do you crave more fun? Even though you may feel satisfied with your life, do you sometimes crave more fun? If you do, make a list of 10 fun things you want to do and then create a plan to do them.
You’re a go getter, right? You make things happen. If you want to have more fun, then go have more fun, make it happen.
#5 Brainstorm. Make a list of strategies you can implement to get more time for personal or work, whichever feels as if it’s lacking. For example, one strategy if you have children is to adjust your work hours when they’re at school and take along administrative tasks like answering email for when you’re waiting for them during soccer practice. For example:
Become a VAinsiders.com Club member today to learn from other work at home entrepreneurs how they strike their own personal balance between life and work.
Entrepreneurs are a unique group of people and you belong to that group. You know how to create goals and strategies to accomplish them. Achieving a balanced life is just another goal. Analyze the data, explore your options and then make it happen.
