How to Balance Home, Work, Life and being a Business Owner
Life can be challenging, yes. But, it also can be very rewarding and meaningful, even amidst challenges. Enjoying life is really all about balance. The most important resource any one of us have is time. We can always find ways to make more money, but when it comes to time, we must be very intentional with how it is spent. That said, we are sharing our top tips for how to balance home, work, life and being a business owner.
Identify your priorities, then schedule ideal windows to work on each.
There are so many facets of life that are important. From the families you create and homes you build to the careers you commit to and the businesses you’re growing. All of which can be made priorities if you allot dedicated time to each respective area.
There are so many hours in the day and every area will have its own demands on your schedule. While you cannot be everywhere for everyone all the time, you can certainly give yourself 100% to a dedicated focus and timeframe.
Divvy up your day so that every area you want to commit energy to gets your undivided attention for a portion of your waking hours. For instance, if your day starts with school-age children heading out the door, but you value being an involved parent, set aside time each morning or evening to have some 1-1 with your kids. Perhaps it’s chatting at the table while making them a warm breakfast. Maybe in the evening after dinner you head to the local park to walk and talk or decompress from work and school.
If your current focus is on longer hours and a financial goal to build your business, set aside time in your day where you can be most productive with phone calls, brainstorming and networking.
Move your schedule around so that it works best with each of the areas you are looking to honor. No one says your schedule has to look like anyone else’s. Your life, hobbies and passions are unique, so your schedule has permission to reflect that also. Balance home, work, life and being a business owner in ways that work for you.
Delegate, delegate, delegate.
Ever wish you could clone yourself? The closest you’ll get is either teaching or trusting someone to perform tasks that you otherwise would have to spend precious time doing. Find more time by delegating tasks to those in each respective area.
In the workplace, build rapport and relief by investing time in teaching someone an aspect of your job that you can delegate out to them in your absence. Do this sooner rather than later so you have time to review and revise as necessary. Investing in this now can pay dividends later in both peace and productivity.
At home, consider hiring a babysitter or nanny that can work as double duty. For example, if your children are involved in sports, consider hiring someone to take them out for practice. If you have older children that can help out around the house, give them responsibilities that can serve as both helpful for the household and also learned as a life skill. Meal prepping their lunches for the week or prepping laundry that will be worn each weekday can serve as a time-saver and peace keeper.
Join a village.
We’ve all heard that it takes a village to raise children. It can be hard to ask for help but sometimes, bartering services can be a great way to serve the community while also benefiting from outside help. Balance home, work, life and being a business owner by offering to help others find balance in their priorities also.
Could a few extra minutes out the door early give you the leeway to pick up and drop off a few more kids? Maybe you doing drop off could be traded with someone willing to do parent pick-up later?
Do you have a friend who stays at home and cooks delicious homemade meals? Perhaps she makes double the dish while you keep the kids after school. Then, when she comes to pick up her little one, she hands off your homemade supper.
The same applies for work life. Consider sharing projects or negotiating days with like-minded and qualified co-workers. It may take time and thoughtful consideration to initially find those you can trust to trade tasks with, but you never know how much time this could save you!
Do what you do best, outsource the rest!
Outsourcing differs from delegating. We go way more into detail about outsourcing in our blog, Offer What you do Best and Outsource the Rest. We want you to dodge the overwhelm and find more time to do what you love. Save time as a business owner. Make more time as a family member. Consider what you aren’t good at, and see it for the opportunity it is. Acknowledging your time as valuable and understanding how that impacts your financials, is the first step to knowing your expertise. By outsourcing things that take a ton of your time, like bookkeeping and accounting, you can gain back more time to devote to your preferred priorities.
Building and maintaining financial reports including profit and loss, balance sheets, cash flow, and budgets are at the core of our accounting services. We even offer different packages so you can choose what is best for your business’ budget.
Pencil yourself into your schedule.
You know it’s true. We simply cannot pour from an empty cup. You will only be as productive as you are healthy. From mental health to physical strength and alertness, you’ve got to pencil time in for self care.
No matter how tired you are, the way to quality decision-making and responsible use of time, is dependent upon your state of mind. Protect the time that you have penciled in for yourself. Whether it’s an hour each day open to whatever you’re feeling inspired to do or a post-work workout routine, make sure you put yourself as a priority.
Balance home, work, life and being a business owner in ways that leave you inspired and enthusiastic. Leave for lunch. Get some sun. Hit the gym and frequent the spa. Remember that scheduling time for you is not meant to be an open window for pending tasks but a break from any and all things that aren’t directly related to refueling your energy and sanity.
We practice these as well, both in-house and in-office. If you’re looking for more resources to help you balance your many priorities, give us a call to learn the ways we can be of service!
