How to Balance Being a Successful Entrepreneur and Wife
As a full-time employee, wife, mother of three, entrepreneur, and author I know a little thing or two about how difficult it can balancing being a successful entrepreneur and wife. While we can all agree that family is important, we sometimes allow ourselves to get overwhelmed with work in our pursuit to provide for the ones we love. So how do you achieve forward momentum in both your work and marital intimacy? The truth of the matter is that achieving this balance is not easy. After all, nothing in life ever is. But with the right set of attitudes, practice, and a little bit of time, you will find yourself balancing these two aspects of your life with ease. Here are five tips that I believe have been instrumental in helping me achieve a work-life balance.
Leave Work at Work
This is probably the most critical rule of achieving a work-life balance. Once you leave work in the evening and arrive home, everything work-related should be left out of the door. It’s okay to want to vent to your partner after a long day’s work. And you can. But what is not right is making the whole evening about your work. Be mindful of your partner, and talk about the things that matter to both of you.
Establish Boundaries at Work
Achieving a work-life balance is all about setting boundaries. Make your colleagues understand that you have a strict work schedule and that once you get home, all work-related emails and phone calls are unwelcome. Depending on your environment, this could be as simple as ignoring any work-related calls and emails after a particular time. They will eventually get the point.
Communication is key
Communication is one of the most important aspects of a fulfilling and happy marriage. Imagine if something came up at work, and you rushed there without telling your spouse that you needed to leave. It is highly likely that doing so would result in an argument and tensions between the two of you. To avoid such situations, maintain open communication lines to ensure that you and your partner are always on the same page.
Create weekly rituals
Once upon a time, you and your husband used to keep the local diner up till late. Then you got engaged then married, and soon your dates turned into a hopeless attempt to finish a movie at 10 pm. And now you barely spend any time together. Oftentimes, life can get chaotic and crazy once we get married. But that doesn’t mean we should relinquish ourselves to the craziness. Set aside sometime every week and go on a date together. Take this time to reconnect and have fun with each other. During such moments, you are no longer a female entrepreneur but a wife. Think twice before you decide to share the latest work drama with your spouse. Instead, allow the date to be all about the two of you connecting.
Learn to counterbalance
The truth is, real balance is a myth. Work and family both demand a lot of time and dedication. Therefore, it’s impossible to dedicate ourselves 100% to either thing at the same time. We’ve all done it! Sacrificed a day or a night home with the family because you had to complete a project. Whenever you find yourself in this situation, ensure that you make up for the time. This is what counterbalancing is all about.
Overall, there’s no one fit all models as to how you can achieve a work-life balance. Nevertheless, the tips above can prove helpless to any mompreneur out there striving to achieve success. Sure, achieving a work-life balance isn’t easy, and you may need to change a thing or two. But think of it like this: thriving at work will automatically better your family life and vice versa as both sides are crucial determinants of your overall well-being.