Want Better Work-Life Balance in Your Small Business: 5 Key Areas
When you launched your business, you likely envisioned achieving a better work-life balance and living on your terms.
However, over time, your fledging business may have evolved into an unruly beast, seemingly working against you rather than for you. I can relate.
In my prior post, I introduced the concept of operating a flow-focused business aligned with every aspect of your life. I've been personally exploring this concept out of necessity.
Four years ago before shifting my business to website design, I was a full-time artist. I discovered the hard way that trying to juggle everything was unsustainable. You can read the full story here.
At one point, I was solely creating and selling artwork worldwide, teaching online courses, hosting workshops, managing licensing commitments, and trying to be available for my family, our home, and myself. However, this approach proved unworkable, leaving me overwhelmed and struggling to balance my priorities effectively.
‘Balance is not something you find; it’s something you create.’ - Jana Kingsford
I’ve had to consider a different approach. The truth is, that our business is only a small part of who we are and what we do. Spending time with loved ones and living a life filled with spaciousness, joy, and freedom probably matter most to you.
Instead of cramming life into whatever containers are available, let's build a flow-focused business that aligns with the life we desire. Otherwise, life may feel compartmentalised, and we might find ourselves at odds with ourselves and everything we hold dear, leading to a constant push and pull. I certainly felt this.
So, I now perceive the different facets of my life as containers, with my business being just one of them.
This perspective allows me to integrate my life in a practical and manageable way, aligned with my vision, my ‘why’, personality, values, boundaries, and current situation.
We often cover these fundamentals in my 90-min calls, and can include this process in my full brand and strategy website design package that I offer.
Here are the five fundamentals that are helping me achieve a better work-life balance, most of the time ;).
I’d recommend dedicating some time to each area and seeing what surfaces. Nobody’s perfect…
Five Fundamentals for a flow-focused business:
Your vision & ‘Why’
Your Personality & Values
Your Life Circumstances & Setting Boundaries
Practical Considerations
Spiritual Insights
1. Your Vision & ‘Why’
What are your hopes and dreams for your business and life?
Your vision steers the ship for your business and life, and it’s largely based on your "why" - why you do what you do.
For small business owners seeking to create more work-life balance and freedom in their lives, knowing your "why" AND having a clear vision for the future is crucial.
If you don’t know where you are going, how can you hope to get there?
A clear vision for the future and understanding your ‘why’ can help you make informed decisions about your business’s mission and values to potential clients and customers.
Consider the following for future clarity:
Break it down into short-term goals: With a clear long-term vision, break it down into smaller, more manageable goals that you can work towards daily or weekly.
Get feedback: Share your vision with trusted friends, and family members, and ask for their feedback and input. This can help refine your vision and ensure alignment with your values and goals.
Revisit and adjust as needed: Your vision may change as your business and personal circumstances evolve. Regularly revisit and adjust your vision as needed, and stay open to new ideas and opportunities.
2. Your Personality & Values
In the past, I’ve often neglected important aspects of my personality, such as being highly sensitive and introverted.
I found it challenging to stay true to my values and instead pushed myself in an unkind way. For instance, I often (still working on this), overextend myself, ignoring feelings of overwhelm, hunger, thirst, and the need to move my body, and to sleep. I did this because I was succumbing to some internal and external pressure to get things done or make progress. However, this approach never served me or my family well.
I believe it’s crucial to consider your personality, values, and work style.
Here are some problems that can arise when you don't set up your business to respect and take into account your personality:
Feeling trapped: You may start feeling trapped or restricted if you can’t work in an attuned way. This can lead to frustration and burnout, and you may even decide to give up on your business.
Reduced productivity: When you're not working in a way that feels natural to you, your productivity may suffer. This can result in missed deadlines, incomplete projects, and dissatisfaction with your work.
Diminished enjoyment: If your work feels "off," it might be because you’re ignoring an aspect of your personality.
Disregarding your values: If you overlook your values, you may not enjoy what you're doing, leading to feelings of boredom, frustration, or even depression.
Difficulty finding clients: If you're not working in a way that feels natural to you, it can be challenging to communicate your value to potential clients, making it harder to find clients and grow your business.
3. Your Life Circumstances & Setting Boundaries
Taking into account your current tasks and responsibilities is a must.
Consider your daily business tasks and any long-term projects, while acknowledging any current circumstances that make ‘doing business’ more difficult. These may include caring for young children, taking care of an ageing parent, navigating a divorce, or dealing with ill health.
From experience, I know that it’s impractical to continue full steam ahead when there are significant happenings behind the scenes.
In 2020, my Mum was terminally ill and we were still amid Covid. This was a very challenging time for me.
Other happenings can include school holidays, upcoming physio appointments (I had knee surgery in 2023), and my eldest son visiting us from the USA last summer. There’s always another set of circumstances to consider it seems.
By understanding and adjusting your current workload and priorities, you can make informed decisions about setting boundaries and allocating your time and resources. We sometimes forget to be gentle with ourselves, something we would likely advise a friend facing similar challenges. Go gently.
Boundaries are a big issue for many women (including me) and can be for small business owners. Work can easily spill over on personal time or personal responsibilities can interfere with work time, but by setting clear boundaries, you can ensure that you can focus on each aspect of your life when it’s appropriate.
Set boundaries: Establish clear boundaries with your clients/customers, family and friends about when you are working and when you are available for social activities. This can help you avoid interruptions and distractions during work hours, and also ensure that you have time to recharge and relax outside of work.
Establish clear work hours: Decide on specific hours to dedicate to work each day, and communicate these to your family members and friends. This can help you avoid interruptions and distractions during work hours, and also ensure that you have time to recharge and relax outside of work.
Schedule personal time: Just as you have specific work hours, it's important to schedule personal time as well. This can include time for exercise, hobbies, or spending time with loved ones. By scheduling personal time, you can ensure that you can fully engage in these activities without feeling guilty or distracted by work responsibilities.
Set expectations with clients: Communicate your work hours and availability to clients, and establish clear boundaries around when you will and will not be available to work. This can help you avoid burnout and ensure that you can maintain a healthy work-life balance.
By setting clear boundaries and sticking to them, you can ensure that you can give your full attention to each aspect of your life and avoid the stress and burnout that can come from overworking or neglecting personal responsibilities.
4. Practical Considerations
Creating a dedicated work area. Even if it's just a corner of the room, that feels suited to your personality and needs is essential. Make it cosy and stamp your identity onto it. Having a welcoming and inviting workspace can make a big difference in helping you focus and be productive, while also helping you mentally separate work time from personal time.
Delegate. It might seem easier to handle all tasks yourself, but it’s not. If there’s something you can delegate, do it. Consider areas in your life that might benefit from delegation. Some examples could include the supermarket shop, child care, cooking, or business tasks that could be carried out by a virtual personal assistant or secretary.
5. Spiritual Perspective
When it comes to running a small business and aiming for freedom and work-life balance, it's important to consider things from a spiritual perspective, alongside a practical one.
Here are some tips for incorporating spirituality into your business and work-life balance:
Set an intention: Before starting a project or initiative, take a moment to set an intention for what you hope to achieve. This can be a specific goal or outcome, or simply a mindset or attitude that you want to cultivate.
Consider the physical seasons: Some women find it important to consider the current meteorological season. I feel highly attuned to our seasons and my energy changes as a result. So perhaps autumn can be seen as a time for "tidying up" and getting things in order. Winter, on the other hand, can be a time for dealing with the "hidden" aspects of your business, such as processes and systems.
Cultivate gratitude: Take time each day to reflect on what you are grateful for in your business and personal life. This can help you stay positive and focused on your goals, even when faced with challenges or setbacks.
Pray or practice mindfulness: Incorporate prayer or mindfulness practices into your daily routine. This can help you stay centred and focused, and can also help you make better decisions for your business.
Use a journal: Clearing out the clutter and pouring your heart onto the page can be cathartic and insightful. Whether you do some business journaling, morning pages, or other forms of journaling, it can be a really useful practice for getting everything out of your mind and heart.
Seek guidance: Don't be afraid to seek guidance from a spiritual mentor, a good friend or an advisor when making important decisions for your business. They can offer valuable insights and perspectives that can help you navigate challenges and stay true to your values.
Give back: Incorporate giving back into your business model by donating a portion of your profits to a charity or cause that is important to you. This can help you stay connected to your values and give back to your community.
Conclusion
Remember that your business is just one aspect of your life. A flow-focused business can harmonise with the life you desire.
Considering the fundamentals of your vision and why, personality and values, life circumstances and boundaries, practical considerations, and spiritual insights, you can achieve a better work-life balance.
Remember to set clear boundaries, delegate tasks, and schedule personal time.
Incorporating spirituality into your business and work-life balance can help you stay centered and focused.
By implementing these tips, you can create a business that aligns with ALL aspects of your life and live life on your own terms.
If you struggle to balance your business and personal life, consider booking a mentor/strategy call with me. Together, we can delve into these fundamentals to help you achieve a better work-life balance.
Take the first step towards creating a flow-focused business that aligns with ALL aspects of your life.
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