Many people go into business, believing that it will help improve their quality of life. After a while, though, they discover that it is gnawing away at their wellbeing and denying them the chance to be happy.
So what’s going on here?
Part of the problem is that many entrepreneurs believe in the concept of balance. They think that if they work “smart” enough during the day, they can get more weekends and holiday time with their family. Rarely, though, is this the case. Worse still, the pursuit of “balance” creates problems of its own, with many people believing that it is feasible, even when running a business. It’s not!
In this post, we’re going to take a look at some general concepts you’ll want to apply to make your business work for you. Some of them are counterintuitive, but they can make a massive difference to your overall life satisfaction.
Accept That There Is No Balance In Life
The idea that we can balance our lives stems from the greatest philosopher of the ancient world, Aristotle. He reasoned that too much of anything was a bad thing and that, in general, we should seek the middle ground.
But there’s a consequence of this concept – it creates a tyranny of its own. Entrepreneurs who work 80 hours per week find themselves fretting endlessly about “wasting their lives” and “not spending enough time with family.”
Here’s the problem, though: you can’t have both. You either choose a fabulous family life (for the most part), or you commit yourself to your work. You can’t have a relaxing day at the beach with the kids while also running an international enterprise. The world doesn’t work like that.
Leverage Technology
In business, you ideally want to focus on living your life for what it is, not what you think it should be. Where possible, try to avoid desiring more leisure time and, instead, accept the reality you’ve created for yourself. Embrace it. That’s what you’re here for.
With that said, leveraging technology can always make your life easier. Modern solutions and virtual services automate vast tracts of your business, allowing you to get on with the things that matter most. Many business leaders find ways to delegate the dull admin sides of their jobs so that they can embrace the creative reasons why they founded commercial enterprises in the first place.
Set Boundaries
Setting boundaries in today’s world is more difficult than ever before, with devices in our homes that follow us to bed every night. But when most people think about this idea, they imagine doing something practical, like turning off their phone after 7 pm.
When it comes to running a business, though, you don’t always have that luxury. Thus, you have to change where you put the boundaries. Instead of applying them to the physical world, you could try setting them up mentally. For instance, you could refuse to allow the stress of work to affect you after 7 pm, even if the responsibilities continue.
