Nailing That Work-Life Balance As A Dadpreneur

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To be an entrepreneur, there has to be a small part of you that is addicted to work. There has to be. It’s getting up early, shouldering the stress of going it alone, slurping an unhealthy amount of coffee before 11am, hitting your head against the wall on an hourly basis, working late, saying no to friends invites, putting in the occasional weekend shift and yet, somehow, still having an unrelenting passion for it all.

But it’s not exactly healthy. Yes. It might feel necessary, especially when you have a family to feed and clothe and then make proud of you. But it’s not healthy. For you or them. Instead, you need to make a conscious effort to improve your work-life balance, as hard as that might seem.

So, without further ado, here are some amazing strategies that could revolutionise your life.

1. Schedule In Downtime

As an entrepreneur, you know the importance of being organised and scheduling in everything that’s important. Well, if that’s the system that works for you and keeps you sane, you need to start scheduling in some downtime too. Schedule in time for reading, exercising or just being with your family. It might seem sad that you have to do this, but if it works then who cares.

2. Drop The Time-Suckers

Not all tasks were born equal. Some were born just to suck the time out of your day (read: life) with the same ferocity as a brand-new Dyson vacuum. It’s not just time either because these tasks also have a way of sucking the energy and creativity from you. The solution: create a Virtual HQ. Yeah. Hire a virtual assistant to help organise bits and answer the phone, and have a virtual address to look more professional and just, well, take the pressure off yourself a little.

3. Relaxation Is Good

That might seem obvious, so we’ll specify a bit more. Relaxation is good for productivity. Just fifteen minutes here and there with an enjoyable article, a friend, your family, a dog, a walk around the block – it’s all good for you. It’s about taking a break in your otherwise relentless day to enjoy the little things. Cliched. Yes. True. Very much so. How? Because they keep your spirit fed and your motivation running high.

4. Weekends Aren’t For Work

Make that a rule. The same goes for holidays and vacations. These are not work days, so don’t make excuses about how they need to be. If you do, your weekdays and weekends will blur into one grey mess and you’ll never be able to switch off and rest. Basically, make sure your weekends (and vacations) are dedicated to relaxing and enjoying life. Go to concerts, be with your family, have picnics, do sporty activities and anything else you’re into.

5. Distractions Are Bad

We’re all guilty for being distracted. Emails, television, music with too many lyrics, long conversations, or, more increasingly than ever, the dreaded distraction device that is the iPhone. Do away with these, stay on track and then get home earlier. Simple.