Work Life Balance Tips

This article about work life balance tips is a culmination of my fight to balance work and life during my 15 or so years in small businesses.

I have a feeling that it is going to be something that I will have to fight with for my whole life as I really don't think that letting go of "work" comes easily to me ... it was bred into me at an early age :) Thanks mum and dad (mostly dad)

But in reality this is really typical of most smallbiz owners and if you don't work hard then you become a statistic ... which is really something that no business owner wants to be.

So, I have started to research work/life balance and during my research decided that maybe other smallbiz owners are in the same boat - sound like someone you know ;) and there is no better way to learn something yourself than to teach others.

Balancing Work and Life Tips

So I have put together a simple list of work life balance tips to share with everyone ... I hope that it helps you and if you have any other tips please leave a comment below.

1. Slow down - this is my number one because life also seems to be passing me by (real fast!) and the more busier I get the faster I go and then I totally lose ALL balance
2. Love your work - everyday I get up and think about what is it that I love to do ... it is a constant activity to ensure that I am doing what I love.
3. Time Management - focusing on what is really important in your life and managing your time in these areas is vital to excellent work/life balance. I know that I have lost balance when I am wasting hours on things that are totally irrelevant.
4. Is the money really worth it? Your current job/smallbiz/career may provide you financially really well but is it really worth doing it if you don't totally love it? You may be at a point where you really need that money but start considering a change for the future.
5. Ask for help - if you have so much to do ... ask for help. In a business this may mean employing staff or at home it may mean paying your kids to share some of the load of household duties. Both of these will help your balance immensely and it is OK to ask for help (actually it is vital if you want total life balance!)
6. Don't sweat the small stuff - I must say this is something that I have been working on for at least 12-15 months and I think that I am really starting to get the hang of it. As I get busier I really need to think about it or I do start to stress more. Once again in the end you won't remember this stuff and it is vital if you want to balance work and life.
7. Write a list - writing a list helps everyone to understand what needs to be done and from this list you can priorities what needs to be done in order of importance. From there you can either give to others to do or you can focus on one important activity at a time
8. Employ help - if you really don't have anyone immediately that can help you, get a babysitter or employ staff ... it may be a tight stretch financially but eventually you will ask how you ever did without them :) Believe me I have been there and I know how difficult that first step is ... but it will be worth it!
9.  Simplify, simplify, simplify - once you know what is really important in your life get rid of anything that is not important. I am sure you have heard about clutter ... people, customers, responsibilities can cause you clutter and reduce your balance. So evaluate everything in your life and work out whether you really need it.

Like I said, this is a work in progress for me and I understand all the pros and cons of the above tips. It can also be overwhelming to look at this list and think "Where do I start ... I have so much to do already".

Pick one tip that really resonates with you and start with that. This is a work/life balance article so don't look at it as more work... it is there to help.

Tammy Love is owner of MsSmallBiz website and Platinum Leisure Australia's fastest growing recreational club. To get her free report 10 Top Tips to Creating a Balanced Life sign up to the Fun Club new Click Here