It is common knowledge that if you can survive in business for 7 years you are probably going to make it. However merely surviving shouldn’t be the goal, it is important to build a good work life balance.

How has the last seven years of business been?

Has it been a joyful experience where you arrive chipper at 9:00am and casually meander home at 5:00 every day? Probably not! Business isn’t always easy and there are always going to be long nights and road blocks in your way but building a business that can survive without you is important for your family, your succession plan and for you.

If you are constantly bombarded with phone call and emails and spend every waking hour in the office or on the tools, you are a slave to your business. You need to break free and build a work life balance, your family will appreciate it and your business will be more successful when you are happy and healthy too.

Here are three tips to break free.

1.       Set boundaries and keep them. It is critical to establish the boundaries between work and your personal life.  We desperately need balance.  But first, you have to create an environment to achieve balance.  Decide what days and during what times you’re not going to do business.  If you make a commitment to not work on Sundays, then don’t work on Sundays.  If you’ve made a commitment to your family to be home by 6:00 PM every night for dinner, then get your tail home by 6:00 PM.  No excuses.

2.       Set times in your diary to do something you love. This is probably the hardest to achieve, leaving your business is like leaving your child unattended, however your business has been going for 7 years, I am sure it can survive a couple of hours without you.  Don’t forget your passions, whether its piano lessons, bike riding, surfing or boating, make time for you. The benefit of being your own boss is freedom.

3.       Schedule lunch once a week with your spouse, child or friend and don’t talk about business. Seriously, avoid tunnel vision while trapped inside your business.  Wake up to your other relationships.  Schedule precious time to spend with loved ones during work hours.  You cannot imagine how much impact this can be on those relationships.  Plus, it helps you keep perspective on what’s important.  And guess what?  It actually gives you more clarity when it’s time to get back to work.  You can just see things better.

If you want to learn how to build a business that will give you the freedom to live. Call us today to discuss the challenges you are facing, and how we can develop systems and procedures to help you achieve a good work life balance.