There’s no denying that scaling a business can be a tough and time-consuming job. If you’re not careful, your business responsibilities can quickly begin eating their way into your free time and family life. How can you keep work and play separate and still meet the needs of your growing your business? Here are 5 simple steps you can implement to help you maintain a better work-life balance today.
01. Identify what’s not working for you.
Before the overwhelm hits, you need to pinpoint exactly what’s not working in your life so that you can make a plan to fix it. If you hate working weekends and missing family outings then mark this down as a non-negotiable. If you work from home, but distractions are getting in the way, identify what the key problem areas are. Find out the expectations your spouse or family members have of you so you can compromise with a solution that works for everyone.
Related Post: How to Conquer Doubt, Stress and Anxiety While Running Your Business
02. Learn boundary management.
When it comes to setting boundaries, you have to be clear, specific and direct when communicating them if you want them to stick. Whether they are set between your family, clients or friends, a good list of boundaries can mean a world of difference in your day-to-day stress, happiness and work-life balance. Think about the items you outlined above. What are some boundaries you can set in place to help you avoid situations that waste your time or cause you undue stress? Here’s a list of some sneaky time-wasters that can creep into your business and may require some boundaries to be set between you and your clients:
| Problem Area | Boundary to Implement |
|---|---|
| too many decision makers | assign a single point person |
| changing goals or focus | create long-term strategic plans |
| too many emails | implement a project manangement system |
| unscheduled phone calls | set specific open office days/times |
| missed deadlines | set consequences for missing important dates |
03. Clarify your goals.
Now that you know what’s not working for you and have some boundaries set, be sure everything is in tune with your goals. Do you have a 5-year business income goal or plans in motion for an upcoming big family vacation? Ensure your new boundaries are going to help you work towards these aspirations and not get in the way of you finding your work-life balance. Depending on how aggressive your goals are, you may need to do some tweaking and re-allot your time in certain areas to stay on track.
04. Get support.
Just because you’re creating your business on your own doesn’t mean you have to do everything by yourself! Enlist your spouse, family members, colleagues or friends to help keep you accountable and help you out when you need it. If you have a commitment to a workout buddy every week, have them text you the morning of your workout to remind you of your plans. Create reminders in your phone or calendar that can help you stick to your schedule and maintain your work-life balance.
If necessary, you may need to think about finding additional help in areas you just can’t cover. With your business this could mean hiring a virtual assistant or graphic designer to take care of some of the activities you don’t have time for. At home, you might need extra help in the form of a maid, nanny or mother’s helper.
05. Track your progress
Do a weekly or monthly check-in with your self or include your family to see how things are going. Have you noticed a difference in how you feel? Has your productivity been positively or negatively affected? Are the new boundaries you set in place actually working? How do these boundaries affect your business monetarily? You may need to continue tweaking how you implement your boundaries as responsibilities change and time wears on.
What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to work-life balance? What are some ways you have overcome this? Leave a note in the comments below or reach out to K Design Co. for more advice on creating your business.
