As a business owner, you are responsible for everything. The buck stops with you especially the quality of life that you create. Every action you take, every decision you make and how you show up is up to you.
Many business owners forget about their quality of life, until they don’t have it – then it becomes important. You get busy with building a business, and forget the underlying reason why you started your business in the first place.
The good news is that you always have the opportunity to decide at any time your quality of life. Whether you want a flexible schedule, establish a mobile business you take anywhere, or work intermittently, you get to decide.
Recently, I received a question from a member of my community who also expressed her frustration with not knowing how big she wanted her business or how busy. She went on to describe how she loved the freedom of living her day in nature and garden as she intuitively saw fit. In reality, she began to describe what was most important to her.
How would you describe what quality of life means to you? After reflecting on what you want for your quality of life, if there’s a gap between your description and the life you’ve been living then consider these steps:
First, ask yourself if you’re focused on what’s most important. It’s easy to get distracted on growing your business and forget to focus on those very things that give you that quality of life. Like anything, if you don’t have an internal system or process to focus on what’s most important, it doesn’t happen. Whether it’s exercising to keep fit, getting more clients, or generating more income, it can be as simple as scheduling an appointment. If it’s important, you’ll make it a priority. Keeping one calendar will also help you to determine what needs to come off so you can focus on what’s most important.
Second, change your perspective. It’s easy to compartmentalize your work and personal life yet you may be missing opportunities to integrate. Integration involves looking at the connections. Someone in your personal circles may be the very person to assist you in your business. Someone in business circles may be able to free up your schedule, like becoming your personal grocery shopper so you shift your focus on other things that you have identified as most important.
Third, consider where there is leverage. There are lots of ways to leverage your life:
- Hire someone to take a task off your plate, like housekeeping
- Automate an existing manual process so it happens even when you’re not there
- Systematize aspects of your business and life to create that quality of life, like creating a regular date night with your spouse
Whether you want to spend more quality time with your children while building a business, take more vacations a year, or design a mobile business, take these steps with your quality of life in mind.
I truly loved reading your article. I can relate! Sometimes due to our busy schedules and numerous tasks that need to be accomplished, we are not happy and we do not live the life that we had dreamed of. That is why it is important to take a step back and reflect on what it is we want and what we can do to make our dreams come true. It is also important that we learn to delegate. We dont need to do everything on our own. We can ask for help or hire someone.