Keeping Balance in Your Life

"Work/Life balance can be challenging for any workaholic," said Colleen DeBaise, a Wall St Journal reporter who wrote a book on small businesses, "but it can be very difficult for business owners who often worry that the business they've built, will collapse in their absence. So they're very reluctant to take any time off.

"The problem," DeBlaise continued, "is if you never step away; if you never take a breather, or time off, your creativity becomes drained. Your enthusiasm is zapped. And your relationships with your family and friends can break down.

"It's not good for you. It's not good for the business. Ultimately it can really hurt your businesses bottom line if you don't take any time off, or take a break.

"This is a really tricky part for business owners because often times they've built this business. They've done everything themselves. Sometimes when you run a business you're the CEO, you're the bookkeeper, you also might be the person who sweeps the floor. When you're used to doing everything for your business, it's very hard to step away.

"So you really have to put some rules in place. You have to put practices in place that force you to step away from your job.

"One of the best things you can do as a business owner is to keep regular hours.

"For instance work 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. On the weekends, maybe have a time when you check in, but take Sunday off.

"A lot of people who run their own company do it out of their homes. They have a really tough time having a finite end of the day. They can work from dawn until the sun comes down, even when their spouse comes home, or the kids come home. Setting limits might work for them.

"For someone who lives alone, try putting a good practice in place, say you're going to head to the gym at 6:00 pm. A workout can be the transition.

"Complete Small Business Guidebook", Colleen DeBaise

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