Work-Life Balance is B.S.: How to Keep It All in Check
Recently, I’ve found that my personal and professional commitments have taken up a lot of my time and energy. While life has been exceptionally busy, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Overwhelmed entrepreneurs often aim to strike a perfect balance between work and their personal life. But the traditional idea of work-life balance assumes that work and personal life are separate entities, which is rarely the case for entrepreneurs. I think the expectation that you can acheive a distinct balance between the two is total bullshit.
Recognize that your work and personal life will inevitably intertwine. Personally, I take a “work-wellness” approach, aligned with my Purpose Pillars and ultimately designed to help me be my best self.
By defining your own work-life balance and creating personal strategies to keep yourself accountable, you'll be better equipped to manage stress and maintain a sustainable, fulfilling lifestyle as an entrepreneur. Here’s what that looks like to me.
A Day in the Life
There really is no such thing as a “typical day.” The only constant is my days are usually jam-packed with meetings. For this reason, I’m diligent about planning my week, including “me time”—time for things like meditation, strength training, and sleep.
I’ve found a lot of success in keeping my weeks fluid. For instance, I don’t differentiate a Tuesday from a Sunday, for instance, just like I don’t differentiate my work from my life. While this might mean I am working in some regard every day, as long as I do what’s important to me and live according to my Purpose Pillars—honor, love (connection to family, friends, and community), wellness, goodness—I feel comfortable with a seven-day “workweek”.
Work, then, is definitely not separate from my life—it is my life (or at least a major component of it). And my ability to balance my workload day in and day out is directly related to what I do to stay well and live well.
Prioritizing Wellness
I like to begin each day with meditation, especially when I’m really busy. I get it in whenever and wherever I can. Sometimes this means breathwork for a few minutes before a meeting in my car. Just 10 minutes of mindful silence helps me to recalibrate and quiet any noises or distractions in my mind.
I also make a practice of regulating my sleep in three-day increments. I aim for at least seven hours of sleep a night, but this isn’t always doable. When my sleep is cut short a couple of days in a row, I make sure to get seven-plus hours the next night. I know that after three nights in a row, lack of sleep will start to impact me both physically and mentally.
Other steps I take to prioritize my wellness include eating well, reducing alcohol consumption, and getting to the gym. During very busy times, I might reduce my gym time, but I never eliminate it altogether. If I do, my stress increases and my ability to focus on what’s important impacts my ability to make good decisions. Stress also seeps into my engagement with people, which can end up consuming even more of my time.
And when things are so stressful to the point of mental and physical fatigue? I take a hot whirlpool bath with Epsom salt. This allows me to soothe aching muscles (from the stress) and clear my mind of intrusive thoughts (e.g. what someone said, the 100+ emails that I have to answer) and refocus it on the macro elements (prioritizing what matters). It also helps me sleep better, which is the best remedy for just about anything.
Staying on Track with Purpose
During stressful or busy times, I continue to add at least one action connected to my Purpose Pillars each day. For instance, one of my pillars is “love” so I will actively set schedule time for “home for dinner with the family,” which is tied to connection. The goal isn’t to overload my schedule, but to keep my tasks simple and easy to accomplish.
Final Takeaways
Everyone has their own way of going about their work and balancing priorities. What works for me as I’ve shared may not work for everyone, and I get that. But, I also believe there are broader concepts in it that can be applied universally and may help to lessen the toll of stress during busy times.
Don’t focus on work/life balance. In my opinion, a crazy, B.S. idea. Instead, focus on your priorities. (Purpose Pillars can provide the foundation for these.) Of course, priorities fluctuate daily. Take inventory each month to make sure you’re not ignoring things that give you energy. And if you do find yourself ‘out of balance,’ re-calibrate, even if it is something as simple as calling your mom.
Create routines. When you create a new habit, it becomes a regular part of your day—like brushing your teeth. For instance, if you want to start a daily meditation practice, start each day by first finding a comfortable seat, and meditate for five minutes. Start small, stay consistent, and before you know it, it will become a habit.
Set daily micro goals. Set easy-to-do daily goals and check them off as soon as they’re completed. Even consider non-work-related accomplishments. A few examples: say a prayer, listen to an educational podcast, read an article about retirement planning, or buy a nice card for your partner. Just the act of checking the box is motivating.
I encourage you to put any (or all) of these techniques to the test. I think you’ll find that while they won’t make stress magically go away they will make it more manageable. And, not to mention, you’ll feel a greater sense of ownership over your work, your life, and all that matters most to you.
