You don’t want to look back years from now and wish you had spent more time with your family.
Work-life balance might as well be a myth in today’s business world. Technology has made it easier than ever to get things done, but has also made it more difficult to leave work at the office. Who can blame you for working when you get home at night? Your email is just a tap away on your phone, and chances are you’re watching TV on the same device you use to open spreadsheets.
Luckily, I learned a long time ago that if I want to stay happily married, finding a balance between work and my personal life was a must.
Before I was the owner of GYMGUYZ I was a personal trainer, and I worked with a lot of seniors. One thing I heard all the time from them was: “Josh, if I could go back and change one thing about my life, it would be to spend more time at home with my family instead of working.” It was a huge regret for many of them, and I took it as a sign that I should never become that guy. Running a company with the intention of becoming a worldwide brand, I had the mindset that there were going to be late nights. Still, I knew it was important to maintain a balance. Below are some of the things I’ve learned and put into practice in my own life.
Rise With the Sun
In order to accomplish everything I need without being chained to my desk, I start my days at the crack of dawn. The simple truth is that if you want to maintain a work-life balance but also be successful in business, you have to have a strategy. A large part of that strategy will be waking up early.
Learn to Love Your Date Book
This also means planning out your day as much as you can in advance. Obviously not everything will fit into your carefully laid out schedule, but organizing your day ahead of time will show you when and where you can steal away time to yourself. I love ice hockey, and you can bet I’m always looking for a pocket of free time to pick up my stick and get on the ice.
Trust Your Staff
The third and perhaps most important part of your strategy concerns delegation. Micro-managers will never be able to achieve the balance they want. So it’s vital to build out a team you can trust, prioritize what you want them to do and then let them do it. I’m crazy about my wife and son, and there’s no way I’d be able to give them the care and attention they deserve if I didn’t trust my team to do their duties.
Take Care of Yourself
Finally, as someone who works in a health-related field, I know firsthand what a difference proper diet, nutrition and exercise can make. This gives me the energy I need to get work done efficiently and effectively. I don’t drink coffee and I don’t use energy drinks. But by taking care of my body I’m left feeling like the Energizer Bunny.
It will blow your mind how much a routine workout and eating well will help you in other areas of your life, from sleeping better to waking up earlier, having more energy throughout the day and de-stressing after a marathon of meetings.
So yes, it is possible to find a work-life balance, but it requires the same focus you give to other aspects of your professional career. No one gets into business without a plan, and no one will be able to leave the office at the time they want if they don’t have the same kind of blueprint for that balance.
Image credit: CC by Moyan Brenn
