Much to my surprise and delight, I was named the winner of the Redlands Best Woman in Business Award 2016 at a gala event on Saturday night.
The hubster was so confident, that on Saturday morning he asked me if I had my acceptance speech ready. Um, no?! I was just stoked to be a finalist!
As part of the judging process, each of the finalists gave a speech about the work life balance strategies they used to juggle the demands of running a business with their private lives. So I thought I’d share some of the tips from my presentation. After all, they are award-winning!
7 Work Life Balance Strategies
One of my favourite sayings is: “Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life” – and in many ways it’s true. I love my work so much that often it doesn’t feel like work.
However, because I love it so much, AND because I work from home, one of the biggest challenges I face is switching off at the end of the day, and not letting my work creep into my family and leisure time. To quote another old saying,
“All work and no play makes Janet a dull girl”!
I’m not saying I have everything down pat (just ask the hubster!), but it is something I am consciously working toward, with the following work life balance strategies.
1 – Prioritise – What are your priorities in life? Mine are: Husband; kids; family; health. Enjoying my work, and earning a certain amount to contribute to the household finances. And, being able to indulge my creativity – I don’t just write for business, I also have this blog which gives me a chance to express myself just for the fun of it. Trouble is, it’s just one more thing that has me sitting on my backside, in front of my computer! So I’ve learned to …
2 – Step Away from the Computer – Except in extenuating circumstances, my workday ends at 6pm – which is usually when my husband walks in the door from his job. If I’m really good, I even turn the computer off, so I’m not tempted to check emails “just for a second”.
3 – Digital Detox – I try to have at least one day of “digital detox” each weekend. It’s important not just for my own mental health and wellbeing, but also for my marriage and family life.
4 – Automation – To allow me to “disconnect”, I have set up automated replies on the social media accounts I manage, for outside of business hours. In fact, automating whatever systems you can is a great time-saver.
5 – Lunch and Coffee Dates – One of the downsides of working from home is that I can go for days without seeing anybody other than my family; sometimes I don’t even leave the house except to take the rubbish out or check the mailbox!
So I have gotten into the habit of scheduling one lunch or coffee date with a friend per week, into my diary, just like I would any other business meeting. I used to “do lunch” regularly when I worked in an office; I think it’s even more important to keep it up now I work on my own.
6 – Adopt a cat – You may wonder how this makes it on to my list of work life balance strategies! We all know that it’s important to take regular breaks from computer work – but we are not always so good at doing it!
This is where my cat helps (NB at the time of the presentation, we only had Miss Fleur). When she thinks I have been at my desk too long – every hour or so – she will jump up and demand attention. She’s great at reminding me that I need to stand and stretch regularly, and have a little break! You could use an alarm if you liked, but wouldn’t a cat be heaps more fun?!
7 – Outsource or Subcontract – Sometimes business gets, well, busy! As a business owner I want to not just meet but exceed my client’s expectations, however this was taking a toll on my private life. I began to feel chained to the computer, and pressured to take on more work than I personally could handle. At the same time however, I worried that turning down work would mean losing clients. The answer: outsource or subcontract!
And what about the housework?! Although we share it in our house, the reality is we are all busy and it doesn’t always get done. The answer: outsource or subcontract! It would make more economic sense for me to work for my business, and pay somebody else to clean.
Everybody needs to take holidays, even if you are a sole trader. Again, I’ve found the answer: outsource or subcontract!
A Continuous Juggling Act
I think the hardest part of the whole work life balance equation is that it is not something you can “set and forget”. I Must Confess: just when I think I’ve got it all under control, something will change and I will have to start all over again. It’s an ongoing juggling act.
However, at the end of the day, I should be the one in charge of my life, my business, and my relationships.
After all, if *I* don’t make the effort to design my life, others will do it for me – and let’s face it, I might not like their idea of balance!
What seems to work for you, when it comes to work life balance strategies?
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