In order to accomplish greatness and feel fulfilled at the same time, you have to have a balanced mindset. You must give rights to all aspects of your life. Because although it is difficult to hear and even more difficult to understand: life is more than salaries and job titles.
It really is. If your entire life consists of building your empire, but you have no other passions, nobody to care for you or to care for, and no other purpose other than to live paycheck to paycheck, chances are you’re not likely feeling fulfilled or content.
It all comes down to balance, balance, balance. You cannot tip the scale too much and have other parts of your life suffer. You have to balance the rights of your body, your mental health, your family, your social life, your dreams, your passions, and to-dos. You have to contribute to all aspects of your life to be considered successful and feel content.
If you’re working all day and all night but you neglect your family, your body, and your mind – the imbalance will catch up with you. Many workaholics end up suffering from their mental health and have broken families.
When you balance your life and give to all areas of your life, each facet will feed into the other. In fact, your family and health can be your source of strength – which in turn will fuel your successes.
When you’re running a business, it’s easy to let work take over your life. It becomes difficult to find time for anything outside of work-related activities and meetings. You feel like there is never enough time in the day or week to do everything. The reality is that no matter how busy you are with work, there always seems to be something else that has been put on hold because of it. Finding a balance between your professional life and personal one can be difficult but not impossible with the right mindset and approach.
Let’s discuss some tips for finding balance in your life as both an entrepreneur and individual so that you can get back on track with what matters most!
- Focus on your strengths and outsource the rest
Don’t stretch yourself too thin and overcommit at work or home. For other tasks, outsource and delegate! For example, outsource for graphic designers or marketers at work. Outsource cleaning/cooking services at home so you can spend ample time with your family beyond the chores. It is about making the time count.
- Prioritize your time
Focus on what’s important in order of:
- Urgent and important (eg. your boss asks you to attend a meeting as soon as possible to discuss an upcoming deadline)
- Important but not urgent (your boss asks you to schedule a meeting sometime to discuss plans for the new year)
- Urgent but not important (Your boss asks you to fill in timesheets or clerical work that can be delegated)
- Not important and not urgent (Your boss asks you to organize your emails eventually)
- Know whether you’re a morning person or a night owl, and work accordingly.
- Delegate
Let go of some control to achieve proper balance. Delegate as much as possible and utilize the people in your team – at home and work. If you’re spending a lot of time buying groceries and preparing for meals – delegate and outsource. If you’re wasting a lot of time in organizing your calendar at work – delegate and outsource. We are all in this together, my friend.
- Let go of being perfect
Mistakes will happen. And that’s okay.
- Declutter your workspace and home environment
An organized space will lead to an organized mind, which will make your tasks more streamlined. And leave you with more time for things more important.
- Save the driving time
If you have a meeting with a client, rather than traveling to meet them, opt to do meetings over video conference calls, or meet at a coffee shop in the middle. Save time on the road so that you’re not burning yourself out.
- Schedule in personal time for yourself
Such as meditating or going for a walk – make sure you do this.
- Prioritize your family
If Friday nights are movie nights with you and your family – make this a priority and make sure nothing comes between that. Your family should know that you’re there for them, and you should also realize that they’re there for you too!
- Unplug at the dinner table
To utilize your time with family and friends, make sure you use your phone less so that you are all present and are engaging in meaningful conversation. It is about the quality of time that you spent, not necessarily the quantity.
- Exercise
Sharpen your mind and body constantly.
- Focus on your mental health
When anxiety creeps in, don’t ignore it. Walk away from your desk for 5 minutes and take a break. Talk to someone who will lift you up and support you.
- Do what you love
Make sure you’re pursuing your passions so you are motivated when you’re working rather than being burnt out.
When you balance your life and give to all areas, you will have inner peace and find true contentment. Negligence of that balance will catch up with you. It might just be what fuels success for people who are more focused on other parts of their lives besides work! Achieving a good sense of balance can lead us into a fulfilling career as well as overall feeling like we’ve accomplished something significant when looking back over our entire lifetime.
So don’t tip the scale in either direction. Live a balanced, purposeful life and you will find yourself at the pinnacle of success.
