Which do you choose? Work or family?

Sometimes the choice is really hard. You have piles and piles of work for your new business, and you have a wonderful family that you are dying to spend time with.

In this article, we’re going to talk about that precious work/life balance. We’ll discuss how to work on a new business without neglecting your family.

This balance is often elusive for entrepreneurs because it takes a lot of dedication, long hours and much effort to build a successful business. Neglecting your family can often be a bi-product.

Maintaining a marriage and a happy family is hard enough. Throw in a new business, and the struggle deepens.

Consider the movie, Click, with Adam Sandler. The main character is a workaholic who always chooses his career over his family until they finally leave him. While he achieved a lofty position in the business world, in the end, he was lonely and unhappy.

Here are three tips that will help you build your new business while taking care of your family’s needs at the same time so you don’t end up like Adam Sandler’s character in Click.

Build Downtime Into Your Schedule

You plan your work-week schedule, so why not plan your time with your family?

If you make it a priority, and you write it down, it’s more likely to happen. According to Laura Stack, the productivity pro, you’re more apt to improve your business performance by mastering your schedule. By taking that same outlook on your family life, you’ll be more proactive about scheduling family time.

For example, leave Sundays for family time. Don’t put anything else on the schedule for this day. Block out the time and make plans such as a picnic in the park, skating or a movie. Make sure nothing interrupts this family time.

This leaves you six other days during the week to work on your new business.

You might also get up a few hours early for your daily exercise so you have time in the morning to greet your family and start the day with breakfast together.

Focus on Being in the Moment

Whether you’re at work or at home, focus on being present. As a new business owner, you have a lot going on. Distraction is often the name of the game.

At home you’re thinking of work. At work you’re thinking of work. And, somewhere in the middle you’re thinking about tomorrow afternoon’s soccer game and wondering whether your child will get to play.

Productivity experts advise giving your full attention to every task. That means giving your family your full attention while at home. For those of you answering emails at the dinner table, leave your phone on the counter.

While at work, be completely present during meetings and phone calls. Don’t take calls from your family during specified business hours (barring an emergency, of course).

Entrepreneurs often have a hard time not multi-tasking. But, to avoid neglecting your family, keep distractions to a minimum and focus on one task at a time.

Engage Your Family in Small Business Tasks

What better way to bring your family into the fold than giving them small tasks. Your kids will love stacking and stapling papers. If they’re older, give them small age-appropriate tasks so they’ll understand and appreciate what you do.

This way they won’t feel so left out when you slip into your home office for a phone call. They’ll be supportive of your dream and feel a part of your successes.

Involving your family in small ways helps eliminate resentment and encourages goal-sharing. Don’t forget to reward the kids for their help!

To Conclude:

Follow these tips to avoid feeling torn-in-two between your new business and your family. You can make time for both without adversely sacrificing one for the other.

Time is a limited resource. Make and stick to a schedule. Follow tips from the Seven Minute Life that include:

  • Take 7 Minutes in the evening and 7 Minutes in the morning to decide how you will spend the minutes of your day.
  • Make a list of five essential things you need to do each day. Focus on getting them all done by 11 am. Make your list the night before so you can begin tackling the list immediately each morning.

With a bit of pre-planning and open communication, you can work on your new business without neglecting your family.

Need some help with planning and scheduling? Would you like to talk with people who’ve mastered the work/life balance? With MastermindJam, you connect with the right people to guide and advise you. You’ll meet people who’ve struggled with these very same issues. Interested in learning more? Visit our website to get started.