How to shoot stars and maintain a work-life balance at the same time? Many entrepreneurs work long hours and take fewer days off than others. One in three entrepreneurs struggles with balancing work and private life.
“A good first goal is to give enough time and dedication to the things that one considers important. This is why every entrepreneur should put taking care of one’s well-being on the agenda,” says Barbara Bergbom, Senior Advisor at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health published a guide called ‘Work, private life, and time management’, which suggests that sometimes it is good to get away from work completely so that you don’t even think about work.
Make time for yourself
As an entrepreneur, you may often get too excited about your business, and end up spending most of your time working. Your roles will range from being a salesperson and a marketer to a financial expert, while still dealing with daily micro-tasks. It can be fun at first, but eventually, there is a risk that you will start to burn your candle from both sides. You will start working longer hours, compromise your sleep and free time. At the same time, your to-do list will be piling up with new tasks and sometimes it may feel that this list will never end.
The ‘Work, private life, and time management’ guide suggests that dedicating time to family and friends is just as important as focusing on your tasks at work. “Good relationships are a great source of energy and happiness; you should take good care of them.”
Master the Art of Delegation
If your goal is to grow a successful business and not to kill yourself on the way, it is important to understand rather earlier that you can not do everything by yourself. Smart delegation is certainly one of the best skills you can master to make your life as an entrepreneur easier.
Choose tasks that you can delegate to someone from your team or external professional. It is important that you pick the right person for these tasks, who will also be the best to execute them. Learn to trust your employees, but check in with the progress when needed. You can identify certain milestone tasks and agree that you would like to have a quick look at how everything is progressing and whether these milestone tasks were completed on time.
Networks support business and well-being
Struggling with time? Ask your peers and fellow entrepreneurs for an advice. How do they manage their time and distribution of tasks? Your network is a great source for new ideas and insights, not only in a professional but also personal way. You are more likely to have shared hobbies and similar lifestyles. Perhaps some of your can be your running buddies or tennis partners.
“Networking with other entrepreneurs is also an excellent way to let go of work, facilitate the coordination of work and personal life, and share thoughts and worries non-entrepreneurs might not always understand,” comments Auli Airila, Specialist Researcher at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.
How do you make sure you find time for things that you love to do outside of work? How do you maintain a healthy balance between your work time and free time? Share your tips in the comments to this post!
