How to achieve business owner work/life balance in 2023

A new year is always a great time for making positive changes.

As a business owner, you may have already set some company goals for 2023. You might also have set some personal ones.

If you haven’t created any for yourself, one of the best resolutions we recommend you make this year is to focus on achieving that work-life balance we all talk about so often but rarely realise.

Business comes first

While intentions are all well and good, making and sustaining change isn’t always easy. How often have you cancelled personal plans to deal with something at work? We’ve all done it; business always seems to come first.

“If I don’t do it now, I’ll let a client or employee down or fall behind.”

This is the type of thinking we all fall into. But the world won’t stop turning, and neither will the cogs of your business, just because you took a few hours out and chose your personal life over work for a change.

In fact, giving time to your personal life and looking after ‘you’ is important not only for your relationships and your mental and physical wellbeing. Ultimately, it will make you perform better as a business owner.

Too much work isn’t good for us

We know that too much work isn’t good for us.

Not only can it lead to stress and exhaustion, but it can ultimately lead to burnout, feelings of detachment from work, cynicism, and reduced efficiency.

It can also lead to problems in your personal relationships, with friends and family feeling neglected and resentful that they’re not your priority.

Adding more ‘life’ into your work days will reduce these negative effects and ultimately make you a happier and more present and productive business owner and employer. Justification for you workaholics!

What does ‘life’ look like to you

The first step to achieving work/balance is to think about what would enhance your life right now.

What are you currently not doing that you would like to be doing? What interests and activities would you like to try or expand on? What really makes you happy beyond work?

Examples might include:

• Joining a gym or sports team
• Walking, swimming, golf or mountain biking
• Reading, theatre or music gigs
• Practising yoga and mindfulness
• Spending time with your family and friends
• Travelling more regularly
• Boating or jet skiing on the lake

There’s a famous quote that asks, “When was the last time you did something for the first time?” If your answer is a long time ago, prioritise changing this by challenging yourself to try something new once a month or quarter.

Make work/life happen

Once you’ve decided what will enhance your life beyond work – how you’ll spend those reclaimed hours – the next step is making it happen. The key to success is good boundaries setting, forward planning and making yourself accountable. Accountability isn’t just for employees.

Here are some examples of what you can do:

• Set working limits – Decide on your working hours and stick to them. Tell people when you’re available and switch off your devices during this time.
• Block out important dates – Add personal occasions that mean something to you in your work calendar, for example, birthdays and anniversaries. These should always come before business.
• Book in your holidays – This includes holidays you’ve already booked over the next 12 months, as well as any you would like to take.
• Add ‘me time’ to your calendar – Make sure you add everything you want to do for yourself, including fitness, hobbies and seeing friends.
• Involve loved ones – Share your plans for claiming back more ‘you’ time and enjoying a better work/life balance with those close to you. They can help support you and even hold you accountable if you ask them to.

Look after you, and your business will benefit

While it’s great to be passionate about your business, life isn’t all about money.

All work and no play can leave us feeling depleted, uninspired and with insufficient time or energy to give back to those around us – or put into our business. So set those work-life goals, stick to them and reap the rewards. And encourage your employees to do the same.

If you’re ready to achieve a work-life balance this year, we can offer personalised business

advice to help you take back your time. Get in touch.