Finding Balance as an Entrepreneur
Just like every career path entrepreneurship has it's pros and cons. The freedom, flexibility, and being the "captain of the ship" are definitely pros for me. On the other hand all that freedom and flexibility can easily have you feeling scattered and disorganized at best, and like your business is running you at the worst. I'm only three years in to my entrepreneurship journey but feel like I'm finally hitting my stride. I narrowed down the 7 most impactful strategies that help me avoid common pitfalls when it comes to balancing my personal life and running my business, and included some ideas for how I make them work in my life.
1. Set Boundaries
When I first opened my practice I really struggled with things like setting my hours, the compulsion to respond things right away, sticking to my office policies, etc. While I didn't over really extend myself in regards to my time, I was still all over the place answering calls and emails all days/times and caving in when people pushed back on my hours, fees, and policies. I quickly learned that path would lead me towards burn out and that I was creating unnecessary frustration for myself. Once I had that realization I made some important changes. I cut my office hours back to only include only the busiest times, started leaving my office phone at the office after hours, and put some systems in place to help me reinforce my policies. I found that my ideal clients had no problems fitting their adjustments into my set hours, respecting my policies, or being willing to pay my full fees. Since creating those boundaries I feel happier when I'm at work and I've unexpectedly been able to stay more organized.
A couple keys that made the difference in establishing those boundaries for myself:
- Scheduling set times that I am available for work calls/texts and answering emails.
- Have a solid set of office policies and/or terms of agreement that clients sign. I can always refer back to these for those rare occasions I get push back about my policies and procedures.
- Avoid going into the office or doing work projects on off days so I can fully recharge
Determine your profitability. It's much easier to set your fees when you know how much it costs you to do business compared to how many clients you see and how much income you need to make. If I ever think about discounting my fee I remember not only how much value I offer, but also how much I may be spending on my rent, supplies, etc. to even be able to provide my services. That always changes my heart REAL quick. Ha.
2. Have Set Office Hours
I considered my busiest times when most people actually come see and what hours I work best (for me it's mornings!) I don't ever schedule clients on my days off or stay late in the evenings to avoid being overly tired and as a result not being able to give my best. Occasionally I'll accept someone coming 10-15 minutes earlier/later than my morning shift on a case by case basis, and will order lunch those days I'm behind to avoid staying too late. I'm super slow in the evenings so I don't ever bother trying to force it. This might not be as easy if parts of your work are on-call (like my doula work) but can still be done for administrative tasks.
3. Block Schedule Activities & Time Off
Again, I work better in the mornings so I do the activities that require the most brain power and energy then. The first half is for business/admin work and the later morning/afternoon is dedicated to clients most days. This structure allows me to cut down on time wasted switching gears between activities or figuring out what I want to work on next. Thursdays I'm off for "me time" and errands which is great those weeks I work on Saturday. This works well for me because otherwise I'll get into the flow of working and won't take a break! Taking time to rest and re-coop is so important because as the saying goes "you can't pour from an empty cup". It's so important to work hard and smart so you are not caught up in the illusion of busy-ness and instead maximize your time for increased productivity.
4. Listen to My Intuition
This year I've strongly felt the need to slow down, which is contradictory to what society tells about constantly hustling in order to achieve success. I wasn't doing too much or over working myself last year, but on a spiritual level this has just been a season where I needed to position myself to listen. Slowing down and getting quiet has allowed me to tap into my intuition much more. I go to a point where I realized I was beginning to build something based on the expectations and visions of thought leaders and colleagues in my profession, versus listening to my inner voice to guide me. Inspiration and guidance is great, but too many opinions were leaving me confused and full of self-doubt.
I made these key changes and they made a world of difference:
- Started using my mornings for quiet time and easing into the day versus rushing into the office.
- Spent more time in prayer, specifically through journaling
- Stopped buying trainings and consuming information before I actually worked through and applied information I already had in front of me
5. Stay Clear on My Vision
Listening to my intuition and staying clear on my vision really go hand in hand. Being able to listen to that small voice inside has helped me discern which projects are not right for me and/or just not right at that time. Doing more is not always better, doing the things that are meant for and really resonate with you make all the difference in your success. I make a point to write my vision and goals down on a regular basis, usually during the quiet time I've set aside for planning and reflection. This allows me to get all those ideas out of my head and makes them more "real". Once the vision is clear, I'm in a better position to set goals that will turn my vision into a reality. Something practice regularly is writing my vision down and revisiting it at least every quarter to check in and update with any progress and/or changes.
6. Allow Said Vision to Evolve
I can be very rigid. I don't know if it's my upbringing, my nature as an earth sign, or a combination of the two. Being flexible is a challenge that I work on constantly. Earlier I mentioned how I started building my business in accordance to the expectations of others, and in doing so I got to a point where I literally felt like I was failing because I wasn't living up to those expectations. My business was actually very healthy and growing at a steady pace, but I couldn't see that because I was so stuck on trying to create success on unrealistic terms of others instead of my own. I finally took a step back and realized I was creating unnecessary stress and frustration for myself. As a new business owner I looked to others that were further along to help mold my own vision and was extremely steadfast even if their vision was unsuitable for me. After hitting a wall emotionally and seeing my business plateau I finally snapped out of it. It's OK for your vision naturally evolve with more life experience and going through different seasons. I always keep this is mind when I'm revisiting my vision and allow myself the freedom to change and expand when necessary.
7. Make Self- Care a Priority, Not a Reward
I have a confession: I used to restrict myself from getting services that helped me feel and look my best because I felt like I hadn't earned them. There is a big difference between self- indulgence and going the extra mile to take good care of your body. You deserve way more than the bare minimum! This year I changed my mindset and started investing in my wellness on a regular basis. As a business owner, specifically a body worker, my body is my vehicle for this work and in the grand scheme of things to carry out my purpose on earth. For that reason I make time for holistic health services like adjustments, acupuncture, intentional rest, and even fun things getting my nails done because frankly they make me feel good! As an entrepreneur resources can be tight making fitting everything challenging, so what I do is pick a few things that I budget in and commit to on a regular basis. Fortunately I'm able to trade services for some things, but even the things I pay cash for get worked into my expenses and I don't budge.
If you find yourself having a hard time to fit self care in take an inventory of your expenses and activities.
- Are there inconsequential commitments on your calendar you can off load?
- Are there items or subscriptions you're paying for that don't add value to your life?
- Would getting to work an hour earlier allow you more time in the evenings to rest or schedule in time for self-care?
- Instead of meeting for drinks/dinner try meeting for a fitness date or something that allows you to nurture your relationships and your health at the same time.
Implementing these strategies has helped me immensely over the last year. I'm not perfect at sticking to them all the time, but I always have them as a reference point to help me get back on track. Even if you are reading and are not an entrepreneur, I hope you've still been able to finding some inspiration for juggling personal life and career.