If you look through business articles online you’ll find two common themes. The first theme is to always be on and work until you drop. The second theme is how to overcome burnout and find balance. To be honest, the second is probably a consequence of the first.
Sometimes business owners have a problem. We work too much. Yes, I said it. We work ourselves into the ground, to the point of exhaustion, and to the point of compromising our work in the long run.
The reality is we need to learn how to balance work and play as business owners. The good news is we have control over this! We make our own schedules don’t we? Here are some of the ways we can balance work and play so we don’t lose our minds.
Realize balance doesn’t really exist.
Weren’t expecting that one, were you?
You want to know the true secret to figuring out the balance between work and play? It’s realizing that balance doesn’t exist.
Life has ebbs and flows. Sometimes you’re extremely busy and sometimes you aren’t. The key is learning to work with ebb and flow instead of trying to control it.
For example, I know January is busy for me work-wise. Meanwhile, December is pretty chill. It means I schedule my life so I get my socializing on in December and get back to hustling in January.
This works on a weekly and monthly basis too. For example, if I know I have a social engagement on the calendar Thursday night, I’m not really going to try to get a whole lot done on Friday, so I schedule my life accordingly.
Put in support.
I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s worth repeating. Sometimes we need people to call us out if we’re working too hard.
For me, this responsibility lies on my assistant. I told her when I hired her to call me out if she ever noticed I was going too hard and not allowing myself to rest.
I also put weekly support into my calendar. I’ve been attending yoga regularly for a year, and as of late, I’m not going anywhere but my yoga studio on Wednesday evening. This allows me to balance work and play (I love yoga) while also taking care of myself in the process.
The point is I prioritize these things because they matter to me. At this point I’ve learned that running a business isn’t about how quickly you get something done or how hard you go, it’s about how long you stay in the game. The only way to stay in the game for the long haul is to balance work and play.
Figure out whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert.
Introversion and extroversion are about energy exchange. Knowing where you fall on the spectrum can help you balance work and play.
For example, I’m as extroverted as it gets. It means I like being around other people. That looks like going to my co-working space a few times a week so I can get work done but also have fun by being around others.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to balance work and play as a business owner gets easier with time and takes practice, but these places are a good place to start.
