Richard Branson wakes at 6am. Bill Gates isn’t far behind at 7am, and Tim Cook is already up and rummaging around his office by 5am.
As a modern entrepreneur, there’s a stereotypical expectation that to succeed, you must work every single waking hour – always available to every buzz of your smartphone and ping of your email. But is that the healthiest and most effective attitude to have towards work?
Well, the increasingly trendy concept of ‘work-life balance’ would suggest not. To operate at our best, we must value our mental and physical well-being. Consistently working from dawn ‘til dusk will only ever impact the consistency and quality of our output. And we must remember the names mentioned at the start of this article can rely on chefs, cleaners, and a multitude of assistants to handle the odd jobs that many of us need to factor into our day-to-day lives.
So, if you’re feeling tired, stressed, and overworked, what can you do when work-life balance becomes a seemingly unattainable concept? Let’s take a look at three quick tips.
Our bite-sized work-life balance advice:
1. Work stays at work
Easier said than done, but to stop your business from consuming your every thought, you need to learn how to keep work at work. Closure is an important part of achieving a healthy work-life balance, and compartmentalising your working and personal lives will help you leave the stresses and concerns where they belong – in the office.
2. Work smarter, not harder
While a number of notable entrepreneurs are waking early to make the most of their day, they’re not succeeding because they have more hours to play with. No, they’re tackling each day in a smart and prioritised fashion. It’s not about sleeping less; you need sleep for a healthy body and a healthymind. It’s about working smarter, listing jobs in order of importance, and ensuring that you’re not being side-tracked by less important (and less productive) tasks.
3. Learn to say ‘no’
A big one, and a difficult one to master, the word ‘no’ is often absent from an entrepreneur’s vocabulary. But as your business grows, you’ll soon realise that you can’t do absolutely everything – and nor should you. You need to learn to delegate tasks, and downright refuse others. Your time is valuable, and you need to maximise the hours during the working day where you’re at your sharpest.
One Less Thing to Worry About
A quick and simple way to tip the work-life balance scales back in your favour is to clear your desk of tedious and time-consuming tasks, such as management accounts, bookkeeping, and payroll. We can handle all of this and more, leaving you with the time and breathing space to grow your business and enjoy your down time.
