Let’s face it, being an entrepreneur is hard work. You take on multiple jobs to start your business, while larger organizations have numerous employees to handle the same amount of work. You’re constantly hustling to grow your business on your own, and while that work ethic got you to where you are, it’s not sustainable long-term. As renowned business educator and coach, Marshall Goldsmith said, “what got you here, won’t get you there.” Eventually, you’ll find yourself burning out. To avoid burnout, it’s crucial to have a good work-life balance. Here are a few simple tips to help you achieve an ideal balance between your work life and your personal life.
Set some boundaries
When you’re an entrepreneur, the urge is to eat, sleep and work. However, spending all your time devoted to basic needs and work ignores your higher level, psychological needs. You need time with friends and family and time for yourself as well. That’s why it’s essential to set boundaries between yourself and your job. Making a rule that you will only work a set number of hours per day is an excellent place to start, and you can use the remainder of your day to engage with your personal life. If you have employees or co-workers, tell them your new schedule so they can help keep you accountable. And if you need to work the extra hours, build in some additional downtime for later in the week. The most effective downtime includes distancing yourself from your devices and any ability to sneak a peek at your emails, incoming orders, meeting notices, etc.
Find a hobby
As an entrepreneur, your work is your passion, and it can be hard to “switch off” your passion when you’re not at work. One way you can give yourself a break is to develop a hobby. The key is to find something that relaxes you and distracts you from the stress of your business at the end of the day. Something that is totally different from your career…and possibly even something in which you aren’t the leader, boss or decision maker, simply a participant with a passion. You also can involve friends and family in your hobby to stay in touch with your loved ones while you play. As long as you enjoy it and it provides you with some peace of mind, consider allocating some time each week to “play” and de-stress.
Learn to say “no”
The temptation is to say “yes!” to every opportunity you get as an entrepreneur. After all, you want that big client or a high-paying job to grow your business. But if you’re trying to achieve a work-life balance, you have to consider the toll that saying yes to these opportunities would take on your personal life. If it crosses the boundaries you set between work and life then it probably would be a good idea to compromise on the deal or, if that doesn’t work, just say “no.” Practice saying “no” to smaller commitments that take up your time and provide little emotional or financial return. It will feel good and will help you maintain a balanced life.
Entrepreneurship is taking risks to create and manage a business in order to make a profit. Simply put, entrepreneurship is the willingness to start a new business. It is hard work and definitely is not for the faint of heart. While it’s difficult — and oftentimes impossible — to have a daily work-life balance as an entrepreneur, experience has demonstrated that at least an “awareness and understanding” of the importance of a work-life balance is important in maintaining some semblance of balanced life on an ongoing basis.