By Richard Titus
Having a business that you love and feel passionate about can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life. Not only does a great business bring you financial rewards, but it also adds to a person’s life creatively, socially, and even spiritually. Having a business you feel passionate about can also have its drawbacks, particularly when it demands so much of your time that it and your life become one in the same.
In order to live a life that feels manageable and balanced, it’s important for people to separate their work time from their personal time. If you’re struggling to balance the time you spend working with the time you spend not working, follow these tips to ensure that your life remains both productive and fruitful.
Delegate or Outsource
If you care about your business’ success, you’ll want to have a hand in overseeing everything that it does. However, having too much direct control can be a waste of your two scarcest resources: time and attention. Consider delegating tasks to assistants, colleagues, or even family members that you trust.
For example, once your company has multiple employees and a steady stream of business, there is no longer a need for you to schedule appointments or phone calls yourself. Consider outsourcing some of your work to professionals who have a proven track record and can do a better job than you at time-consuming tasks. Some of the most common tasks to outsource are accounting, customer support, web & graphic design, and social media management.
Not only will delegating or outsourcing free up more of your time to spend doing non-work things, it can also help strengthen relationships with outside companies or employees and build trust between colleagues. Make sure you don’t isolate yourself too much from your customers, though. I always like to travel “king incognito” from time to time to make sure I understand our customers and that we delight them at every turn.
Invest in Tools that Make Your Life Easier
One good way to free up some time for yourself is by making the tasks you do easier and less time-consuming. Invest in the tools that can help you get things done. Has your company outgrown the current toolbox? Do your tools need an upgraded? Perhaps there’s a better tool that integrates several of your tools into a single platform? Is there software you can purchase to complete a task digitally that you’ve been doing manually? Is there a machine that can automate a physical task you’ve previously done by hand?
Digital record keeping is both more secure & cost effective – particularly when you consider the risks of a shoebox! Decide what aspects of your business could potentially be evolved and invest in tools to help make that happen. A one-time investment could save you tons of time and make you much happier in the long run.
Schedule Your Time
If you’re a workaholic with a busy business, you most likely live and die by your schedule. So, to ensure that you get adequate time for yourself and time with your family, try to actually add it into you daily schedule. Work expands to fill a vacuum – so make sure you MAKE time for the things that matter, exercise, your family & things that inspire & refresh you (for me it’s my kids, Surfing, Yoga & motorcycles.) By setting aside specific time for leisure, rejuvenation, or fun, you not only succeed at doing more; but you succeed at doing less.
After all, what is a good life without balance?
