Your Business May Be Ruining Your ... - A New Leaf Productivity

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I was chatting with one of my coaching clients this morning and we were discussing her nearly impossible schedule.? Donna is helping to run two businesses and is spending all of her time in the office.? Her home life is suffering and she is getting very frustrated with the situation.? As we talked about what the future might look like for her I realized that unless she addresses a major problem, this situation will never change.

Donna?s problem, quite simply, is that she is unable to say no to work activities.? She has worked in the primary company for a number of years and is the ?go to? woman for every problem imaginable.? She took on the running of another company at the urging of her boss.? She has now created a situation where she has to work 80 or more hours per week and she still can?t keep up with the workload.

Obviously, this is not a good situation, but it isn?t impossible to remedy.? She is highly frustrated with the situation and her home and personal life is seriously suffering.? What I find interesting in these situations is that people don?t realize that when they say yes to one thing, they are also saying no to something else.? In this case, she is always saying yes to more work projects, and at the same time is saying no to taking care of her home, spending time with her family, and taking care of herself.

As business owners, we do this constantly.? Every decision to forego some family event or self care is done in the name of the business.? Another coaching client of mine, Jennifer, related a story about her daughter.? Jennifer was working diligently on the computer, responding to email and getting work done.? Every now and then, her little girl would come in and ask her mommy to come and lay with her.? Jennifer?s response was ?I?ll come to lay with you in 5 minutes.?? This happened a few times and finally when Jennifer pulled herself away from the computer, her daughter had already fallen asleep.

Can you relate to this scenario?? How many times have you sacrificed personal and family time for checking email, working on a project, or any other business related tasks?

Obviously, you have to work.? You must get all of these things done, but if you?re like me, I don?t believe you started your business to have a life dominated by work.? Most of us start our businesses so that we will be able to spend more time with our families and to do the things we really enjoy.

Has your business taken over your life?? ??If so, the good news is that you can get your life back.? Here are three ideas to help you to reclaim your time and relationships while maintaining a profitable, thriving business.

1. Give some thought to why you started your business or career.
   More than likely the reason was not to spend 80 to 100 hours per week working, never having time for your family or yourself.? When you are able to reconnect with your initial vision for your business, it will get you motivated to make some changes in your business and the way you are working.
2. Set up systems and routines.
   With simple systems and processes, your business can run smoothly and efficiently.? You can create routines and structure so that you are available for your family when they want and need you.? An example might be that you set firm office hours and communicate those to your kids.? When your office hours end, you are then available to them for play time, helping with homework or whatever it is they need.? The key here is that you must honor those office hours and honor the time you set aside for your family and yourself.
3. Take care of yourself first.
   We hear this often, but I think it can?t be said often enough.? If you don?t take care of yourself, you are not much good to others.? Running yourself ragged by working too much sets you up for stress and potential illness.? Often our bodies just decide it?s time to shut down and you will become sick, requiring that you take a break.? It?s much better to plan down time and self care so that you are in control of those breaks.

I don?t know about you, but I don?t live to work.? I work to support my lifestyle which includes spending ample time with my family, doing things I love, and getting rest and relaxation.? Is your business or job negatively impacting your relationships or your health?? I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

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About the Author:??Ellen Martin Kramer is the founder of A New Leaf, LLC, a?professional organizing company?dedicated to helping people to clear clutter from their physical and mental environments so that they can live the lives they truly desire.

Source: http://anewleafproductivity.com/your-business-may-be-ruining-your-relationships/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=your-business-may-be-ruining-your-relationships