Tremendous time, energy, and effort go into running a business. With everything there is to do, it’s easy for those who own a business to sacrifice many — if not all — aspects of their personal lives in the pursuit of success.
Your business is only one aspect of your life. You also have important relationships with family and friends as well as your health, passions, hobbies, and interests. When you choose or unconsciously allow yourself to become consumed by business and neglect these other aspects of your life, your
well-being and happiness fade away.
There’s no real benefit to working yourself into the ground. When you become fatigued, your business suffers because you don’t possess the clarity, energy, and composure necessary to be the caliber of leader required to create the level of happiness and success you desire.
Conversely, there are tremendous benefits to everyone involved — business owners, team members, customers, and families — in maintaining a balance between personal lives and business.
The more out of balance and unhappy you are, the less your financial success will ultimately mean because of the tremendous price you paid — what you sacrificed along the way — to achieve it. You can’t go back and recapture those magical times in life after your kids are grown. After a divorce, you can’t make up for neglecting a marriage. When your health fails, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to get it back.
The interesting thing about striking a balance between life and business is that in addition to improving the quality of your life, you also become a more productive, creative and effective business owner. When you take time to care for yourself and engage in other aspects of your life, you recharge mentally, emotionally, and physically. As a result, you have more to give. In other words, you increase your potential and therefore the potential of your business.
When you balance life and business, you tend to treat the people in your personal and professional lives better because your perspective is clearer and your attitude more pleasant. You’re more patient — your fuse isn’t so short — and happier. When you treat people better, they have the tendency to do the same. All your relationships improve as a result.
When you go on vacation with your significant other or hiking with your kids, be present with them. When you attend a family function, spend time with friends, go for a bike ride, read a book in the hammock, take a swim or anything else you decide to do, enjoy the moment for all it’s worth.
Taking your spouse out for a regular date night, spending quality time with kids, pursuing your passions and going on vacations aren’t synonymous with working and doing business. While it’s true you can take your work with you on vacation, the reality is that neither will be the best they can be as long as your attention is divided between them. One must give way to the other. A working vacation isn’t a vacation. It’s merely working in a different location.
The secret to all of this is truly stepping away from your business when you get outside the office and engage in the rest of your life. Turn off your phone and computer. Leave your business thoughts and concerns behind as much as you can — and you can much more than you realize. When you choose to do so, all the moments of your life will take on a greater meaning. For you and everyone involved.
As a business owner, you’re the foundation of your enterprise. The more energized, inspired, and balanced you are, the stronger your company will be. When the quality of your life diminishes, take notice and take action.
In the end, each of us is left with the sum of the moments of our life. We’ll either be satisfied with the life we lived or we won’t. Live your life with the intention of creating balance among its differing aspects. You’ll not only be successful, but also — and perhaps more importantly — happy.
