We came across a startling statistic the other day … nearly 80% of U.S. small business owners surveyed said they feel that they work too much. Believe us, we totally get it. It’s never easy as an entrepreneur to juggle the time you spend working, with the time you spend being involved in your family life outside of work. However, there are some serious side-effects of not maintaining an appropriate balance, namely in the cost of your physical health and levels of burn out. Being mindful of maintaining a balance in your professional and personal life can lead to improved well-being, increased productivity and growth in both areas of your life. We’ve put together three tips to help!
FIND VALUE
Your time is valuable. So you’re going to need to learn how to say no to things that aren’t of value to you. Take a hard look at the professional organizations you belong to, the networking groups you attend, the groups you’re involved in outside of work. Are they valuable to you? Are they bringing you business or helping you relax when you’re away from your desk?
I recently quit a few networking groups that I had been a member of for several years, because I never received a sales lead at any point during this time. I can’t tell you how many nights I spent ‘working the room’ or mingling with dozens of people, but for what? Since leaving, I’ve worked hard to maintain the few personal relationships I had developed while in these groups, and guess what … they’ve lead to more business and some lovely personal relationships. Once I got to know these individuals on a more intimate level, they’ve connected me with people in their network whom I would never have had access to while trying to talk in a room full of 300+ people. And I got some valuable time with my family back.
BRANCH OUT
Building on the previous point of giving up time commitments that aren’t of value to you anymore, try adding something new into your life! You never know what opportunities may arise! And this is a great way to spend time with family or friends as well. Grab a friend and try a pottery class, or coerce your significant other to try tennis lessons … whatever it is, it’ll be a challenge, it’ll be fun and you’ll meet some new friends along the way.
OUTSOURCE
Small tasks, specifically those that don’t necessarily generate money (like posting on social media) are the devil for an entrepreneur. They need to get done, but they’re a huge waste of time. Outsource this stuff. Your stress level from “having to do it all” will be reduced, and you’ll have more time to focus on the bigger ticket items for your business. This is one of the great things about being in a business center, you’ve got a team of people at your disposal to leverage and outsource to.
This same mantra applies to your personal life as well. Hire someone to clean your house or take care of the landscaping if you feel you would rather have that time on your weekends to spend with your family. Lots of times the cost is far worth your free time.
What tips do you have to help maintain a healthy work-life balance? We’d love to hear from you!