It seems many people live a life of extremes. They’re either relaxing and doing absolutely nothing or working so intently that they are completely stressed out.
Sound familiar?
Well, wouldn’t it be nice if every day was a healthy balance of work and play? Would you love it if you could work without regret and play the same way? Good news – you can. It takes time, patience and a commitment.
However, finding a healthy business/life balance is completely possible. Follow these simple ideas to start getting your work and life in balance.
#1 Track the data. This may sound a bit retentive; however it’s tough to know where you can make changes if you don’t have accurate information. Simply track how many hours each day you’re working and how many hours each day you’re spending on fun, friends, family and yourself.
Note: if you’re cleaning the kitchen or picking kids up from school, that’s a third category. Somewhere between work and pleasure. Track that information too.
#2 Assess your happiness and that of the people around you. Realistically, take a good look inside. How are you feeling about your business and personal life?
- Are you happy?
- Satisfied?
- Fulfilled?
Now, take a look at your friends and family.
- Do they feel they’re getting enough of your attention and time?
- Do they make comments about the fact that you’re always working?
- Do they seem to resent the time you spend on your business?
If so, chances are there’s an imbalance here.
#3. Assess your position. Now that you have both the data and your emotions and family’s emotions recorded, it’s much easier to see where you can make changes. You can see where you’re spending more of your time and you can see how it’s affecting you and your friends and family.
But now the tough part is here – making changes and sticking to them.
Look at the possibilities and your resources.
If you’re working from 9-9 seven days a week, is it because you have to?
- Or are your time-management measures not holding up?
- Can you outsource?
- Can you create more focused work times?
- Can you schedule time for yourself?
- Can you schedule time for your friends and family?
Scheduling time for family and friend might sound a bit strange; however, when you set aside time to spend on your personal life, it forces you to manage your time a bit better.
#4 Become a better organizer. One of the best ways to find and maintain a healthy business and life balance is to become a skilled expert in the field of time management. Create lists, prioritize your tasks and focus on the most important, high impact activity first.
#5 Learn to let go. It takes practice but it is possible to focus on what you’re doing right now and to let go of the fear, guilt and stress related to what you think you should be doing. Once you can accomplish that, you’re better able to produce and to enjoy the moment. When you’re with your family, be with them. Don’t think about what you should be doing for your business and vice versa.
You control your life. You’ve created a fantastic business and you deserve the best of both worlds. You can have it. It takes a plan, commitment and an honest look at reality. If you’re living an unbalanced life, make changes. Live the life you want. It’s all in your control.