Running a business isn’t easy. It can be all-consuming. Many business owners struggle to figure out how to balance work and life. In this post, we’re going to look at why it is important to balance work and life. Then, we’ll share some tips with you to help you.
Why Is It Important to Learn How to Balance Work and Life?
There’s a belief that the more time a business owner spends working on their business, the faster they will achieve the promised land of profit. To some degree, that’s true. Someone who puts in one hour a week to start and build a business may not ever see success. If they do, it may be extremely limited because of the limited time invested. Someone who puts in more hours may see success faster. What about the people who eat, sleep, and breathe their business?
When a business owner truly loves what they do, it can be easy to spend practically every waking hour involved in it. While that can be a good thing, it can also be detrimental to both personal relationships and the business itself. With personal relationships, your friends, significant other, and members of your family want to be part of your life. They need you to be engaged. Without the proper time and attention, those relationships can crumble.
Even business owners with a deep passion and love for what they do can invest too much of their time in it. This can cause burnout. Burnout doesn’t necessarily mean that you develop feelings of depression or hatred for the business. Burnout can be subtle. It can mean you’re experiencing more fatigue than usual, you stop taking care of yourself in little ways, normally quick tasks seem to take longer, and you just don’t feel the same drive and passion as you once did. Those aren’t the only ways that burnout can present itself. Regardless of how it manifests, it can and will affect your productivity and your focus. Less productivity and focus could mean a downturn in your business and how it operates. In short, it is crucial to the success of your business that you’re able to balance life and work.
How to Balance Life and Work on a Daily Basis
There’s no one right way to balance life and work. The first thing you must do is consider the needs of the business and your own needs and desires. This doesn’t mean that you have to take a sabbatical that lasts for months and leave your business in the hands of someone else. It means you find things that you can do every day that help you balance your life and your business. Here are some easy to implement tips
Find easy, enjoyable ways to live a healthy life. No, you don’t have to hit the gym for hours on end or become vegan (unless you like the idea of doing those things; if you do, go for it!). Find easy ways that you can live a healthier life. This could be shopping for fresh foods at the farmer’s market, meal prepping your lunches, getting a healthy breakfast, or even just taking a 20 minute walk. It could be one of those things or all of those things. It turns out that exercise and healthy living can actually have a positive impact on your business. No time for the gym? No problem. There are several inexpensive fitness options available online. From yoga to HIIT to programs designed for those who don’t have a lot of experience with exercise, you’re sure to find something that can help. Adding better foods and a little exercise to your routine can be highly beneficial for your mood, too.
Create a time of “do not disturb” for deep focus on your work. The purpose of deep focus is to help you get better results. Creating a time where you can engage in deep focus without being disturbed can help you get more done. It also creates a feeling of accomplishment. You’ll feel more energized and focused. Choose a time when you’re most naturally energized. Turn off your phone (or set it on Do Not Disturb) and put it out of your sight. Turn off notifications for your email (Gmail now has a handy new snooze feature). Stay off of social media (unless that’s the project you’re working on for your business!). Block this time off on your calendar if you have an assistant who sets appointments for you. Make sure that they know that this time is reserved.
Schedule fun activities onto your calendar. It can be really easy to blow off activities you want to do because of work projects. Schedule fun activities directly onto your calendar. Unless it’s a true emergency, don’t remove those activities for work-related matters. You can even set your activities as private. You might find that helpful if others have access to your calendar. Remember that the time you spend away from your business will help you renew your mind. You may even come up with solutions to problems.
Get help with your business. Clients ARM provides a variety of services for businesses. Our services are provided from a remote US-based location. With more than 30 years’ experience, our clients have more time for the things they love to do for themselves and to focus on building their business. To learn how we may be able to help your business, schedule your free consultation now.
