Working too much can leave your family feeling unloved, and you disconnected from them. But without work, you most likely will not be able to support your family. The importance of work-life balance is that you need both, and should be able to have both and feel like a whole person.
Work is essential – in most cases, it is what supports your family. Work and family are the two most important parts of our lives, but one should not come at the expense of the other.
If you’ve made it into the working world, there’s one thing you’ve surely realized by now. And it’s that life is rarely one-dimensional.
And the reality is that life is meant to be multi-dimensional.
Your life is interesting and fulfilling because of the variety. Variety in the professional and personal aspects of your life make every day worth living.
The hard part is learning how to balance it all.
The goal of work-life balance is that a person has time and space to have a fulfilling life outside of work, which helps improve overall work performance and quality of work while reducing stress.
The time a person spends working should be balanced by time spent with friends and family, doing things they enjoy, and activities that allow them to feel like a whole person.
Ever heard the saying that too much of a good thing could be bad?
No matter how much you love work, or you love your personal/family life, too much of either one can be a problem.
Working too much can leave your family feeling unloved, and you disconnected from them. But without work, you most likely will not be able to support your family.
The importance of work-life balance is that you need both, and should be able to have both and feel like a whole person.
Small Business Owners And Work-life Balance
Often times, entrepreneurs enter life as a small business owner thinking that it allows them freedom and the potential to work fewer hours in a day or week.
The reality is that as a small business owner, especially when getting started, it is really easy to work MORE than when you work for someone else.
One of the things that Small Business coaching clients and I work with is making sure that we are not only improving efficiency and productivity but that they are allowing space for them to be a person outside of the work that they do.
As a small business owner, it is imperative that you guard against overworking by making sure that you are giving your personal life and loved ones the time and attention needed.
You do this by taking time to self-assess and allot time for your own personal self-care.
Often times with the incorporation of setting realistic income goals and strategies to achieve them, small business owners can make a significant improvement in their work-life balance.
Habits To Implement To Bring About More Work-life Balance
Learn To Prioritize
Although this can be hard to do, it’s imperative.
Do you find yourself putting greater effort into your career? Perhaps that’s where your passion lies right now. It’s important to come to terms with that.
Have you experienced being at work and contemplating where to take your kids this weekend? Maybe that’s truly your focus, and that’s okay too!
The first step is determining what’s more important to you. Realizing that at different stages of life, a shift can happen. AND the priority can be different for one spouse than the other at any given time.
After you’ve done that, consider whether you can afford to be in that position. If there are factors pointing to unrealistic priorities, be honest with yourself.
Put first things first!
Create A Separation
Now that you’ve outlined your priorities, your next task is to ensure the responsibilities are properly distinguished. Are there certain responsibilities that really shouldn’t be on your radar right now?
Earning another degree can certainly add to your qualifications, but is the timing right?
If your job is already fulfilling, how about putting off more schooling for now? Use your time wisely so you can balance professional and personal responsibilities.
It’s great if your kids can participate in tons of extracurricular activities. But do you have the time to attend all the games and recitals?
Meet them halfway by limiting the activities that you allow at any given time, or share the responsibilities with your spouse.
Putting those boundaries in place for your children also helps them learn to prioritize their time and make decisions that matter to them.
Try To Adhere To A Schedule
It’s only fair to give each aspect of your life the time it deserves. Once you’ve identified the priorities, avoid allowing both areas of your life to collide.
If you’ve allocated three hours each evening to family and/or friends, ensure you stick to that. This will keep your relationships intact.
Sure, unexpected occurrences may pop up at work and throw your plans off. But what’s important is that you make the effort to stick to schedules as much as possible.
Maximize Your Time
When you’ve identified set windows of time for specific responsibilities, maintain your focus, and follow-through.
If it’s time for work, make it all about work.
Try to produce your best quality so that you can get the best results. That way, you’ll feel at ease when you’re ready to move on to your personal time.
You’ll rest better knowing you’ve given your best at work.
The same thing is true for personal time.
Turn off the television.
Silence your cell phone.
Shut down your computer.
Allow yourself to take care of personal responsibilities and give family the time and attention they deserve without interruption.
When you practice these tips regularly, you’ll find is that it gets a little easier each day to find and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
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