Balancing your work and personal life can be difficult as an entrepreneur. Although creating a work-life balance can be challenging for business owners, it’s not impossible with the right strategies.
Here are eight strategies that can help you create a better work-life balance as an entrepreneur to avoid burnout and reduce stress.
Delegate, Hire, Automate
Delegating tasks can be a great way to take some of the workload off you so you can focus on more urgent tasks. For example, you could delegate tasks that don’t require your expertise and assign them to someone on your team.
You can also try to automate tasks that take up your time but aren’t urgent, such as payroll, email marketing, and social media. If your budget is tight, you can try to get family members to help out where they can to take a load off your plate.
Create a Flexible Routine
Every entrepreneur’s routine is different and completely personalized to their lifestyle. For example, I usually wake up at 3:30 in the morning and work out (it’s early, I know). However, that particular routine works well for me because I start my days early.
Take breaks when you need them. Sometimes, it can be tempting to push through a task and keep working until it’s done. However, taking breaks can help you to relax and recharge, allowing for better productivity and efficiency.
One method I’ll pull out for larger projects is the 60/60/30 method. This involves chunking tasks into two sixty-minute work blocks (with a ten-minute break in between) and then a thirty-minute work block (followed by another ten-minute break). This comes out to a total of three hours with 2.5 hours of work. I do this 4 times a day and end up with 10 hours of work per day with breaks in between.
Set Daily Goals
Daily goals act as objectives you work toward accomplishing each day.
Here are three benefits of setting daily goals:
- Setting daily goals can help you focus only on the tasks at hand and check them off as you go.
- Setting daily goals helps you to make progress by chipping away at large goals.
- Setting daily goals can motivate you because you can visually see the plan for the day and work towards that plan.
Be Adaptable
Plan for the unplanned. Try to accomplish your most difficult tasks first and gradually work your way from the most difficult to the easiest. This way, you end the day with easier tasks that aren’t urgent. So, if you have to leave for some reason, you won’t have to worry about missing important deadlines.
Being adaptable also means creating a sustainable schedule you can stick to. You want to try to avoid cramming in too many tasks in one day, or it can feel like you weren’t productive enough if you don’t finish them. Plus, piling on tasks can lead to more stress, which can further lead to overworking to get everything done.
Try to accomplish your most difficult tasks first and gradually work your way from the most difficult to the easiest.
Be Fully Present in Every Area of Your Life
Whatever task you’re performing, whether work-related or personal-related, try to be fully present. Dedicating your full attention to one task can help you avoid multitasking, which can lead to several unfinished tasks. Instead, focusing on one task allows you to complete that one task with your full attention and focus.
For example, after I’m done working, I will dedicate the rest of my time to my wife and kids. I always make it a point to be fully present with them and not allow work to get in the way. By being fully present, I have deepened my relationship with my family and learned to appreciate the value of slowing down.
Prioritize Family Life
As an entrepreneur, spending time with your family is vital to helping you create a work-life balance. Although our work is our passion and it sometimes doesn’t feel like work, we should try to designate time to spend with our loved ones.
One way I like to prioritize family time is by making myself available when my kids are home so that I can spend quality time with them. Then, I will try to get as much work done when they’re not home to use my time wisely.
After all, your loved ones likely support you and want the best for you, so you should try to return the favor.
As an entrepreneur, spending time with your family is vital to helping you create a work-life balance.
Embrace Self-Care
While family time is important, so is time spent with yourself. Try to set aside time every day to spend with yourself doing whatever you like. For example, you might read, watch an episode of your favorite show, or even take a nap to help you relax and recharge.
One thing I like to do before I start working is practice meditation. During this meditation, I think about my affirmations and prepare myself for the day ahead.
How you take care of yourself manifests itself in your personal life. So, if you neglect to take care of yourself, it could affect other areas of your life.
Set Firm Boundaries Around Your Work and Personal Life
As entrepreneurs, we sometimes struggle with saying ‘no’ to projects. However, learning the art of saying ‘no’ can help you avoid overloading your plate and focusing only on the tasks at hand.
Setting firm boundaries with your work life may look like clocking out at a certain time, whether or not you’re finished with your tasks. Or, you might finish your most difficult tasks and save the less urgent tasks for another day. So, try to set boundaries that work with your schedule and allow you to remain the most productive without letting your work affect your personal life.
