A common belief among new entrepreneurs is that the only way they can make their business ideas succeed is if they focus all their attention and energy on them. Family time is always thought of as needing to be sacrificed.
In reality, only a lucky few are able to make such a sacrifice. If you are married, have children or elderly parents to care for or other commitments that require your time and attention, it’s essential to find a way to balance all these elements of your life. It’s critical to maintain them all. Read on for a few tips on how you can balance your startup and your family time.
Consider relocating
Whether you’re dealing with young children or elderly parents, knowing that you are able to get home in the event of an emergency without having to battle through hours of traffic or a tide of commuters can be reassuring for both you and those you are looking after. Reducing the amount of time that you need to spend traveling between home and the office should also increase the amount of time you are able to spend with your family as you don’t have to factor in wasted travel time.
If your company expands and relocates, it’s worth seeing whether you can move your family at the same time in order to maintain the minimum possible distance between the two.
Utilize technology
The ease with which video calls can be made on any smartphone or tablet device makes it easy to share special times with your family when you can’t physically be there. Although nothing will substitute for actually being there, the ability to make eye contact, to look at a drawing, haircut or outfit makes such exchanges far more meaningful and intimate than a simple phone call or text message.
If you’re concerned about the health of wellness of an elderly parent, a personal emergency response system such as the Libris from Nortek Security & Control provides accurate location information. These solutions provide the ability for the user to summon the emergency services or monitoring center and include advanced fall detection for total peace of mind.
Work smarter, not harder
It’s difficult for any entrepreneur to avoid doing some work at home. But it’s important to have boundaries. Designating certain parts of the day as “family time” ensures your loved ones get the attention that they need without worrying that you would rather be elsewhere. This, along with regular attendance at family meal times, taking the children to or collecting them from school or weekly lunches with elderly parents, all show that, while your work is hugely important to you, you know that the most important thing is always to put your family first.
Though it’s hugely important to ensure you get enough rest to maintain your health, staying up a little later or waking up a little earlier allows you to power through some work tasks without any distractions. It reduces the guilt of feeling that your family is missing out on the chance to spend time with you.
Making the maximum use of time that might otherwise be wasted helps you maintain high levels of efficiency. It doesn’t force your family or loved ones to suffer as a result of your dedication to your business. Balancing your priorities improves your overall quality of life.
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