Balancing Life and Business: How I Manage My Time as a Small Business Owner
When I first meet someone at a networking event or over coffee after connecting on LinkedIn sharing that I am a mom usually works its way into the conversation. And that is typically followed by some standard responses such as “Wow, how do you do it all” or “You must be exhausted all the time”.
Now, I won’t lie…having a 4-year old and 18-month old does make me pretty tired most days (shout-out to all the moms and dads out there). There are definitely days I wish I could sleep in a bit more, despite being a morning person, or days where pushing through dinner and bath time seem like climbing Mount Everest. Though, overall, I’d have to say there’s a pretty good balance between my personal and professional ‘lives’.
I haven’t cracked the secret to parenting but I would say I’ve cracked the code in finding this oh-so-sought after balance.
At Auxo Business Services, we spend a great deal of time focused on how to help our clients avoid burnout while still maximizing productivity to scale their businesses. We understand that every entrepreneur’s scale is different and we come up with personalization solutions for processes, systems, and delegation that help achieve their unique equilibrium. Luckily, I’ve been able to practice what we preach.
My Personal Strategies For Managing Time
I leverage a combination of time management methods.
Over the years, I've experimented with a variety of time management methods. Some worked, some didn't, but through trial and error, I've found a combination that works for me and keeps my professional and personal life well-balanced.
Color Coded Calendar: At a glance, I can tell if my day will be filled with networking, client calls, or internal work. This visual cue allows me to mentally prepare for the day ahead and ensure I'm appropriately allocating my energy and focus.
Writing Out My Top Priorities: In our digital age, there's still something to be said for the power of pen and paper. Each week, I jot down my top priorities in my planner, both professional and personal. When I get distracted, feel overwhelmed, or am generally unproductive, I can refer to this list to get me back on track.
Do Not Disturb Settings: When custom Focus settings came out on iPhone, I immediately took advantage of them. Now, any notifications from my work-related apps don’t show up on my phone before 9:00 am or after 6:00 pm. This small change has made a significant difference in my ability to be fully present with my family during non-work hours. Any work I do outside these hours is by choice and is often dedicated to pursuing an internal passion project when inspiration strikes.
Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
Allowing others to help you is a game-changer. By assigning tasks to my operations manager and executive assistant, I am able to keep my to-do list focused on tasks that actually require my direct attention or tasks that align with my passions. This not only maximizes my productivity but also ensures that I'm spending my time on what truly matters.
For clarity on what to delegate, use our Delegation Checklist and Guide.
Use a Task Management System
To help manage my workload, I leverage our task management system. This tool keeps me on top of all my tasks and prevents anything from slipping through the cracks. It also allows us to automate certain steps in our processes to reduce the trivial tasks on our to-do list and free up time.
Personally, I favor Monday.com. You can try it for yourself here.
Accept That Some Days Will Be Long
There are hard days, and that's okay. I've learned to accept these challenging times and acknowledge that I don't need to push myself to the limit every day. It's this acceptance that helps me maintain my sanity during particularly demanding periods while also allowing me to dive into the challenge.
Work-Life Balance Is A Key to Sustainable Success
Achieving a balance between building a successful business and having time to actually enjoy your personal life is a practical, totally achievable, endeavor. And, frankly it’s a bit of a requirement in these post-pandemic times. Strategic time management, effective use of productive tools, and thoughtful delegation can all boost your productivity while maintaining healthy balance. Without it, you’re destined for burnout, stress, diminished productivity, and missed goals.
If you’re looking for guidance on any of these strategies, schedule a no-pressure Possibilities Chat with me today.
Or, for even less pressure, simply download our Delegate Checklist to explore what types of tasks you can delegate to an assistant so that you can stay more focused and reduce overwhelm.