Recently, while talking to one of my entrepreneur friends, he described the benefits of flexible scheduling, following his dreams, controlling his destiny, and being able to break from the corporate world. 

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In the same conversation, however, he related the struggles. From the difficulty of obtaining capital and establishing a reliable revenue stream to feeling lonely and unable to connect with people.

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Establishing a balance between your business and your personal life ultimately becomes the most daunting task of becoming an entrepreneur. 
 
You’ve probably heard yourself say, “I have too much work to do,” or “this is a lot of responsibility!” You likely miss out on many activities so you can do “just a few more hours of work.” 

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A lack of balance can quickly lead to burnout. The need to do more work will always be present, but your personal needs also need some attention. 

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Finding balance is extremely beneficial. Self-care has been proven to spark creativity, stimulate new ideas, and give a new perspective on your business venture. 

Assess Your Situation

Write down these eight life areas: 

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• Friends and family

• Fun and recreation

• Physical environment and home

• Romance, significant others, or dating

• Fitness and health

• Career

• Finances 

• Personal and spiritual growth

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Next to each area, assess where you currently are on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 being “completely dissatisfied” and 7 being “completely satisfied.” Be honest with yourself! 

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Add up all of the numbers to get your score. 

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Scoring Range: 

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8-16: Having a difficult time
17-30: Average score of many entrepreneurs
30-45: There are some very satisfying and very dissatisfying areas in your life.
45-56: You recognize the importance of life balance to life success.

Look at your current levels of satisfaction. What patterns or themes do you see? 

Develop a Plan

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It’s time to write down a plan to get some balance back in your life.

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 1) Choose one area you are dissatisfied with. Take a couple of minutes to brainstorm what balance would look like in that area for you.

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 2) Write down the date for one week from now, along with the following:

• The area you want to improve

• The score you want to have next week at this time

• Two things you’re going to do to move toward that score

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 3) Tell someone about your goal and ask them to hold you accountable. Knowing that another person is involved can help make your goal a priority. 

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 4) Set aside a time next week to discuss your goal with the person who agreed to hold you accountable. Did you reach your goal? If so, congratulate yourself! If not, try to articulate what you can do differently.

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 5) Go back to step one. Focus on improving your scores in each area.

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Creating a balance is a process, not an event. It will require focus to keep things balanced. But it can be done with personal reflection and a commitment to change!