Achieving the Right Work/Life Balance for You - Business Coaching Tips

Almost every new business coaching client I work with struggles with the balance between their work and the rest of their lives.  Most small business owners don’t have enough time or energy for everything they have on their plates.  They seek advice about how to achieve a balance between personal and business time.

I will admit that I made a mistake in the early years of my business coaching practice.  (Apologies to those of you I coached then.)  I thought that balance meant the same thing for all people.  That it meant to them what it meant to me.  Wrong!  Here’s what I have found from working with hundreds of business owners:  Everyone needs to find their own balance.  What feels balanced to me, might not feel balanced to you.

Here are some business coaching tips to help you achieve the balance that works for you in your life and your business:

Business Coaching Tip #1: Consider which type of balance works best for you. This varies radically between individuals.  Some people need a daily balance.  They get up and meditate.  Then they work in the mornings, take a long lunch, work until 5:00 and go home and play with the kids all evening.  Others need a weekly balance.  Work hard one week.  Take personal time the next.  I have a business coaching client who gets his balance from this lifestyle:  work hard, play hard, rest hard.   I have a friend who takes off one day a week, one week a month, one month a year and one year each decade.  That’s her balance.  Get creative.  Find what works best for you.

Business Coaching Tip #2: Build your business to suit the balance you need. Take my friend for example.  She has had to build a  business that she can ramp down for long periods of time, if we was to have her desired balance.  If she had not done a lot of long-range planning, she would never have ended up with a business that would allow her to be gone for a year every decade.  Given the balance you want, what kind of business do you need to build?  My business coaching practice suits my balance needs well.  I like a monthly balance.  I coach two weeks a month.  Consult for a third.  And, I usually take a week off.  Works for me!

Business Coaching Tip #3: Balance can change over time. What felt balanced to me when I was 20, no longer feels balanced now that I am 55.  Our energy changes.  Our interests change.  What is important to us changes.  Consider where you are in your life.  Sometimes, in the early years, we are happy working all our waking hours on the business.  We figure we can relax after the business is up and running.  Later in life, we may find that all work has created a less than fulfilling life.  Time to re-balance.  I have seen this shift many times with my business coaching clients.  There is nothing wrong with needing to re-balance.  It’s only a shame when you need to re-balance, but you haven’t built a business that will let you.

Business Coaching Tip #4: Balance isn’t achieved overnight. Once you can envision the kind of balance that you would like to achieve, create a plan to get there.  Start with where you are.  It may take months or even a year.   Be patient, but persistent.

Business Coaching Tip #5: Take actions to achieve to reach your ideal balance. Consider the following actions and whether they might be helpful to you as you work to achieve balance:

• Say “no” more.
• Ask for help from others.
• Be willing to not pursue everything that interests you.
• Require more from your employees.
• Set boundaries.

I have found that living a balanced life is one of the most fulfilling things I can do.  I enjoy each part of my life more.  I feel better about myself.  I am a better coach, wife, family member and friend because of my commitment to balance.  Are you ready to balance your life and reap the rewards?

noconnor@mindspring.com

www.nanoconnor.com