Life spinning out of control? We hear it all the time. Time to take charge.
You don’t want to end up answering the feared question What do you regret? by saying that you didn’t have enough time for family, yourself, or anything that matters to you that you couldn’t include in your so-called “impossible lifestyle.”
What gets in the way of achieving this balance? Many things. I believe the dominant reason, however, is fear. Perhaps you fear failure, being a leader, the future, or a million other things that pop up during the start-your-own-thing journey. I believe once fear is eliminated and you let your self- confidence in, your balance will come naturally.
Elizabeth Saunders, Founder and CEO of Real Life E®, a time-coaching and training company that empowers individuals to achieve more success with less stress, states that:
“Many entrepreneurs struggle with fear that if they’re not working every minute they could possibly be working, their business will fail and they will regret not having put in more time. However, in my own experience and in observing other successful entrepreneurs, letting go of this fear not only leads to work-life balance, but also more meaningful productivity and accomplishment.”
I believe once fear is eliminated and you let your self- confidence in, your balance will come naturally.
Ask yourself these three questions, and reflect on your answers. Don’t worry—they’re not the typical “Write down your long- and short-term goals” questions.
What kind of entrepreneur are you?
Everyone has a style. You could be a crazy night owl, or you could be morning madness. I have come up with a million categories by watching my fellow entrepreneurs. One of them told me, “The best part is that I can differentiate myself by the kind of entrepreneur I am. Then I can present myself any way I like, and abide by it. Isn’t that why we went down this path?” Figure this out, and see what matters to you because of who you are.
How do you picture yourself?
After you’ve completed a picture of yourself, imagine yourself in action. What’s your morning ritual? What do you see yourself doing in your downtime? In your beast mode? Just take a few minutes to picture yourself. You’ve done this activity before, remember? When you were fantasizing about running your own thing…
What’s a message you’d like to tell yourself every day?
This is an interesting one—plus, it’s my favorite. Sometimes, all you need is a sign! You probably hear this all the time. Think of a reminder you’d like life to throw at you, and write it down. Sometimes, you get so lost in your world, you forget to take a minute. Many entrepreneurs do this to keep track. Every month, you can set a new message, and track it. Trust me—just do this.
Sometimes, all you need is a sign!
Here’s an addition. If you’re like me and need technology to help, here are some tools I love. I’m sure you will, too:
Logsit
I use this to keep track of everything I want to do in any given day. The best thing about this is that it gives you insights on your daily activities, which allows you to get to know yourself better. Plus, you can set reminders to do personal and work-related activities.
Balance
If you’re a visual person, this is for you. This app allows you to visualize how much time you spend working vs. living. Get your balance right with this app.
Rescue Time
This is great for tracking how much time you spend in different settings. Monitor yourself, and see how much time you’re spending in meetings, writing e-mails, etc.
I hope this article helped. Always remember: you’re in control.
