Double Iron Consulting – Running a family business comes with numerous unique challenges that many people naturally struggle with. Finding a balance between work and private life is integral, both for the family firm’s owner and their loved ones. Today’s guide outlines some of the most important factors in finding a good work-life balance for a company’s chief executives.
7 Tips to Help Maintain a Work-Life Balance
A good compromise between work and personal time is often hard to achieve but shouldn’t be when staying committed to a work and life positive balance. In many cases, following some simple steps to work toward this can help enhance an individual’s quality of life and motivation.
As the founder of Double Iron Consulting, Bill Smith, Royal Cup Coffee’s former CEO, knows the importance of navigating a balance that leads to better family relationships and smoother operations overall. Through his work at Double Iron Consulting, he strives to support brands and business professionals in achieving their goals.
#1: Set a Schedule
The first step toward developing a good balance is setting a schedule and then building on those habits. Outlining when to work and when to spend time with family is a simple way for a business owner to achieve a good balance. It’s also a good way to achieve time management goals.
#2: Eliminate Distractions
Distractions are a challenge in many cases and can leave people feeling overwhelmed, unfocused, and unproductive. They can make it difficult to meet both personal and career goals. For those determined to achieve work-life balance, cutting out potential sources of distraction is crucial.
Give every task 100% as often as possible. This simple approach allows you to work more efficiently and may also lead to opportunities for career growth.
#3: Focus on the Important Things
When determining a strategy for work-life balance, it’s vital to categorize activities and tasks based on their importance. This approach enables business owners to prioritize tasks that need to be completed urgently over those that are less critical.
When determining which tasks should take priority, it’s crucial to consider both the positives and the negatives — for example, why is it important, and what will happen if the business owner fails to get it done in a timely manner?
This approach can be applied to an individual’s personal life as well. Making it a priority to spend time with friends and family on birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions strengthens relationships and bonds.
#4: Accept Setbacks
Unfortunately, setbacks happen. It’s easy for a business owner or executive to obsess over “why?” and “why not?” in these cases — eating into their personal time off.
Firm owners should learn how to accept setbacks rather than focus on the negative aspects. In doing so, they’ll be able to focus on their current tasks without worrying about what could have been if something had been done differently.
Learning to roll with setbacks can build a more resilient and stronger firm.
#5: Delegate Tasks
There’s only so much that an individual can do alone. Delegating tasks is an excellent option to consider for a CEO or business owner who is struggling to make time for family or friends.
This not only ensures that every job is done in a timely manner but also provides new approaches and ideas for how to tackle problems. The decision-making process becomes more efficient and accurate with multiple inputs from different people.
#6: Involve the Family
For many aspects of business management, there are strict privacy regulations, but some work can be done alongside family time. For example, a business owner might work on identifying new opportunities by asking family members for their thoughts, input, and ideas. Or, if the kids are mature and old enough, a business owner could involve her kids on a market tour or business trip.
#7: Make the Most of Every Moment
One of the biggest limitations with finding a compromise between career and personal life is failing to make the most of time with friends and family. It’s easy to overlook these opportunities, but really taking hold of the chance to spend time with those important to you can help you feel substantially more optimistic.
Make sure to embrace the moment when engaged in personal activities. This simple approach can help make experiences outside of the office feel more meaningful. After all, shouldn’t time with loved ones feel special?
When It’s Not Possible to Keep a Work-Life Balance
Unfortunately, no matter how hard a business owner tries, it’s not possible to always maintain a positive work-life compromise. This often occurs when there is extra work to do that can’t be postponed or delegated.
Such pressure can leave a person with little choice but to work longer at the office, reducing time with family.
Taking steps to accept this is crucial. Explaining the situation to family and friends can help them understand better and be more supportive. Moreover, being open about the challenges posed by the firm may also help them accept the change.
Of course, it’s important to keep a good work-life balance in mind — but during times when this fails, it’s critical to resolve the challenges as soon as possible.
Final Thoughts
Developing a strong balance between career and personal life can often seem tough — but it’s far from impossible, as Double Iron Consulting advises. A strong compromise is attainable by just making a few simple changes, which can also lead to a significant boost in a business owner’s overall health and wellbeing.
