When you started your business, you were likely excited to the point that you found it difficult to sleep at night. As years pass, that excitement has transformed. You may still find it rewarding and enjoyable, however, you may be looking for ways to reignite that passion for your profession.
As your business has grown, you’ve likely found comfort in a growing salary. You may have found emotional support as you’ve attracted and coached the right fit team. It’s very often the case, however, that even the most successful business leaders lack balance in their life. If not carefully tended, this imbalance of focus can result in regret.
At the ripe age of 24, I became an entrepreneur. I started my niche marketing business (Identity Dental Marketing) from a shared 3 bedroom apartment, with nothing but a laptop and little dog. When the rest of my friends were working a 9-5, I enjoyed an 8am-11pm role. I’d visit friends and bring my laptop (and dog) along to get some designs done while they watched a football game. I was nothing less than obsessed.
It was somewhat easy to establish balance until I became blessed with children. Balancing the demands of mom, boss and wife is difficult, especially on very little sleep, while managing travel and juggling child care. Often times, I meet dental friends who question how I have the ability to scale my business, enjoy my family, moderate my forum (The Dental Marketing Forum – By Grace Rizza) and have any sort of social life. Not every day is perfect, clearly, but I’ve found some pretty solid tips that can help any thriving business person.
- Abolish guilt. It plays no productive role in your life. Whether you stay home, work full time, work part time – you’ll be judged. It’s part of being human. Train your brain to depend less on what others think of you and more on what your family thinks of you. Train your children to respect your career and use it as a way to show them they can have whatever they want out of life. This will allow you the emotional freedom to detach and commit 100% to your career during the time you’ve dedicated for work.
- Commit to a schedule and stick to it! If you’ve decide that you’ll be home by 5 every night, take your last meeting at 4pm. The clients who are right for you will understand. They will respect your boundaries and will become great long-term clients. Schedule time for yourself, too. Once per week, enjoy a night out with your significant other. One day per week, schedule your “me” time. If you don’t feed your soul, you cannot help others with passion and excitement.
- Plan trips away. Time away from your business allows you to re-energize your mind. It allows you to experience tastes of that excitement that you felt when first getting started.
- Only do what only you can do. Make a list of the responsibilities you wish to never again have to do. Now, create a hiring plan to allow you to delegate these tasks to the appropriate people. Allow your team to make mistakes. It’s painful, but necessary. Embrace first time mistakes as learning experiences. Second time mistakes should be addressed quite differently.
- Be kind to yourself. Celebrate your accomplishments. Embrace self-love. This will make you strong and help you overcome the criticism that inevitably follows success.
- RSVP no. Turn down social activities when you need a break. Your true friends will understand.
Whether you’re new to business, a new parent or a seasoned efficiency pro, I hope this information helps you to avoid burnout and find more satisfaction in your life.
