Possibility for Entrepreneurs to Achieve a Work-Life Balance

If you’re an entrepreneur, you may have noticed that finding time to enjoy life can be a struggle even though you make your own schedule. The problem is actually a simple one—your work doesn’t come with an off switch like a meaningless 9-5 job would have.

So first and foremost, we can all agree that there are much worse problems you could have. Doing what you love—and being successful—are something to be very proud of.

But then you try to put on a different hat. The kids want you to read a story but you have emails to reply to. Your partner just played the “notice anything different” game and you lost because you’re distracted. It’s 7PM on a Friday and you just don’t have the energy to go out and Carpe Diem because you’re still thinking about work!

Luckily, it is possible for anyone to achieve that balance between work and everything else that you love. First and foremost, you have to remember that no matter how much you love your work… it would really suck if that was the only thing you had left. So with that in mind, make it a priority to enjoy and appreciate all the other things you love because those moments matter more than anything.

Start with a schedule that works.

You’re probably already governed by your calendar and task list so make the decision to prioritize down time that works with your work schedule. If you deal with international clients and need to cater to flexible schedules, you can still set a strict 8-10 hour daily schedule for your business.

More importantly, there should be 2-4 hours every weekday dedicated to everything else. If possible, try to leave your weekends dedicated exclusively to balancing friends & family with much needed you time because it can be just as easy to lose yourself when you neglect yourself for work, friends and family. Whether you use it to read, hike, or binge on Netflix there should be time for you on the schedule too.

Change the little choices.

Sometimes, you’ll travel further when you take baby steps. It can be overwhelming to alter your life with big decisions, but the smaller (easier) changes can amount to the significant goals you hope to accomplish.

Take weight loss for an example. Trying to transform from a sedimentary lifestyle to a gym rat is unrealistic. You will burn yourself out and give up before with minimal results. On the other hand, long term results can be found when you start choosing the stairs over the elevator, parking further away in the parking lot, cutting calories, and looking for the little opportunities that provide the chance to prove your dedication by making a different choice.

That logic can be applied to nearly any goal.

Just say no.

Overworking and under living is the easy thing to do. But at some point you’re really going to miss those moments you keep missing, so make the decision to say no and put your personal life first. The best part of all is that achieving balance—slowing down and enjoying life—leads to a significant increase in productivity at work!