Achieving the Work-Life Balance: Tips From Successful Entrepreneurs
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Achieving the Work-Life Balance: Tips From Successful Entrepreneurs

March 10, 2023

From prioritising, manage time and set boundaries: here’s all you need to achieve the desirable work-life balance.

Image courtesy of Nathan Dumlao

Entrepreneurs often deal with a lot of stress because they juggle multiple things on their plates, making their work-life balance quite tricky. Apart from owning the business, they supervise employees, develop products, monitor financial statements, promote products or services, meet with clients, and more. There is a finite number of hours in a day for these tasks, so that component increases the difficulty and adds more pressure.

Without proper work-life balance, there is a greater risk of stress, illness, and even mortality due to heart attack or stroke. That’s why listening to entrepreneurs who have successfully navigated their professional and personal lives to find that sweet spot is essential. Achieving harmony in all areas of life could boost productivity, provide financial independence, foster a sense of purpose, and promote better relationships. Those who wish to achieve the same results should take these work-life balance tips from successful entrepreneurs to heart. 

Image courtesy of Dan Burton

Sort Out Priorities

People who wish for work-life balance must start by sorting out their priorities. Establishing these priorities makes it a lot easier to set and achieve goals. It would help to ask these questions to strive for better work-life integration:

  • What are your values and non-negotiables? 
  • What are your interests and passions? 
  • How many hours can you realistically allot for each area of your life? 

Those who wish to accomplish their goals must take stock of their life. Prioritization is crucial because it tells people what tasks are essential and urgent. At the same time, it points out lower-priority tasks that can wait and be done later. 

Hone Good Time Management Skills 

Entrepreneurs are masters of making every second count, with so much that they must do daily. Take their advice and get a better grasp of time which results in better clarity, focus, and performance. To illustrate, Studyfy’s professional writers tackle multiple tasks daily for various clients. Still, they don’t crumble under the pressure of long papers and numerous deadlines because of their effective time management skills. 

Good time management can help people reduce procrastination and deter wasting their hours. By the same token, mastering this skill helps achieve more meaningful goals by increasing productivity. To help with this, try the following practical tips for keeping track of how time is spent: 

  • Use phone calendars and apps or a paper planner
  • Utilize phone reminders with sounds and visuals
  • Jot down essential to-do lists and keep them in a visible area
  • Review each week for necessary appointments and non-essential meetings time

Establish Boundaries

For example, set specific hours in the day for social media use to avoid mindless scrolling that wastes time. Those who set limits can spend quality time with family while freeing up hours for activities they enjoy. Developing a clear boundary makes people happier since they find time for their passions. It also prevents work burnout. To successfully establish boundaries, do the following:

  • Switch off the phone during family bonding moments
  • Limit access to work emails during off hours
  • Try going internet free for a few hours
  • Learn how to say no to tasks after office hours
  • Take on projects that are doable with realistic deadlines
Image courtesy of The Anam

Find an Enjoyable Career

A famous adage says: if you love what you do, you never have to work a day in your life. To avoid excessive stress, people must find jobs they enjoy. After all, people spend at least 8 hours of their day at work. Those who hate their jobs will loathe getting up in the morning. 

If an individual feels their career makes it impossible to enjoy life, it is prudent to consider changing jobs. Although everyone needs money for daily necessities, it is also not good for one’s mental health to keep doing jobs they don’t enjoy. This is the fastest way to shorten life expectancy, so even if everyone needs money to survive, people must remember this aspect to achieve balance.

Take Stock of Finances

One of the more tremendous burdens of people is their money problems. And this stems from spending beyond one’s means. Ironically, those who have higher incomes are not necessarily happier either. Those who upgrade their lifestyle when promoted to a higher position with more significant pay also suffer from financial distress, especially when they accumulate a lot of credit card debt. 

Hence, a part of achieving work-life balance is aiming for holistic wellness. Individuals must remember to secure their financial health because this provides peace of mind. As long as basic needs are met, asking if a luxury car or bag is essential would be prudent. After all, less conspicuous consumption and less spending mean fewer working hours and a more rewarding life. 

Pencil In Rest and Relaxation

Image courtesy of Bruno Nascimento

Rest periods are just as crucial to an individual’s success. Making time for rest and relaxation is important because these activities help individuals reduce stress. Downtime is necessary for mental help protection. Sleeping enough and trying to cook healthy meals are ways to replenish and recharge dwindling batteries. Regular physical movement is also backed by science to alleviate depression, stress, and anxiety. It can also be beneficial to utilize technology for this as well, now that AI can help people with their mental health. Checking out sites such as Talkie for instance, can be highly beneficial as there is a section where you can speak to a mental health advisor if you need to get things off your chest.

Adjusting schedules to make room for enjoyable things like hobbies can also benefit the soul. When people find time to pursue passions outside of work, it stimulates different areas of the brain. Often, people find themselves feeling more inspired and doing more creative work after engaging in productive pursuits. Ways to get much-needed R&R may include any of the following:

  • Reading a book 
  • Playing a sport
  • Exploring nature 
  • Doing artworks
  • Sleeping

Make an Effort to Nurture Relationships

Finally, it is essential to nurture relationships to achieve a balanced life. Positive relationships provide a support system that could help people find inspiration. Establishing good relationships with relatives, friends, and neighbors can alleviate stress. And in moments of trouble, people who care also extend support.

Final Thoughts

Finding a balance between work and personal life can be difficult, but it is not impossible. Those struggling to achieve this may benefit from speaking with a mental health professional. Remember, though life is hard, help is always available. 

Author: DDW Insider
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