Networking Events and Work/Life Balance: A Guide to Achieving Success
When you start your business, having a personal life might seem difficult to achieve because running a business can be demanding, making it hard to find time to relax and have fun. But if you manage to balance your work and personal life, your business will run more smoothly.
Most business owners are workaholics. They believe that the only route to success is to work hard – and they are right to a point. Unfortunately, too much stress can kill you. It can lead to high blood pressure, lack of fitness, insomnia, heart conditions and many other health problems. As an entrepreneur, driving yourself and employees too hard is not just unhealthy and dangerous, it is also not the best way to run your business because it cripples creativity and stifles motivation.
Having a work-life balance is important if you expect your employees to perform to the best of their abilities because it keeps them refreshed at all times. Here are some ways you can achieve the work-life balance that will give you many opportunities for creativity that will give you great business ideas:
Set a time to end every task: If you are a boss, you might get caught up working late nights and on weekends. Set a time like 5 p.m. to stop working at that time every day. You’ll be motivated to get more work done within that time frame and finish up before the time runs out and you’ll have time for relaxation.
Don’t force creativity: Creativity comes naturally, most times when our attention is somewhere else – especially when relaxing.
Socialize!: As you make plans to see friends and family, don’t let work dictate the time you spend with them. Spending time with your loved ones will make you more relaxed, thus refreshing your mind for better ideas to grow your business.
Set small achievable goals: You don’t need to do everything at once. By having small goals that can be achieved, you’ll get more things done with little stress. When you have small tasks daily, you’ll be able to focus your attention on those tasks and have quality results.
Be organized: It is not possible to have a work-life balance when you are not organized. Ensure that your office is always organized, with each item strategically placed. You are going to spend a lot of time in your workplace, so ensure that your office is inspiring enough. You can buy a plant, or place photographs or artwork that make you smile.
Take breaks during work hours: Working for 10 hours a day doesn’t mean you have to work straight 10 hours. Take regular short breaks to maintain your focus and energy. During that time, you can call your loved ones and reply to some personal emails. It is perfectly normal to have short breaks during workdays.
Take vacations: Not just for you, but also encourage your employees to take vacations and make the most of the time off work.
Go for regular medical check-ups and stay healthy: You might not notice the early signs of overwork because you will be wrapped up in your work. Get regular check-ups to know if you are overstressing yourself and need time off.
Work-life balance is important to the success of any business, unfortunately, this is overlooked. According to a recent survey conducted by The Alternate Board, which is a coaching organization for businesses, half of all business owners in the U.S. work more than 50 hours each week, and 20 per cent of business owners work for over 60 hours. About 80 per cent of people surveyed believe that they work too much and would prefer to work less than 40 hours per week. The main reason they overwork themselves is because they feel like there are some tasks that only they can take care of, tasks another employee can easily do.
Finding the proper work-life balance
There’s no doubt that hard work can make your business grow. But that doesn’t mean you have to always work hard. There will be moments when you’ll be required to put in some extra hours of work in your business, this might happen when you are opening a new store, applying for some investment funds or looking for a new client. Take note of such moments and try to compensate later for them. For instance, after working extra hours for three weeks, you might consider taking a long weekend off to relax and recharge your mind and body.
