How to give my best for business and have energy for my family at home
What does that mean to be able to give your best for your business and also to have energy for your family at home? I think it will look a little different for every person reading this article, but the steps to figure out what that looks like for you, and your unique situation will be similar.
You need to be able to determine and make improvements on the following:
How can I get intentional about my business goals and the direction of my career/business?
What are the most important aspects of family life in this season? How do I want to show up/participate in those?
How do I leave work behind and focus on my family? Both the actual tasks and the emotional burden.
How do I decide what to spend my time on each day/moment?
Bottom line–you want to be able to choose your priorities, get intentional with your choices, set boundaries, and be present.
Easy right??!!
NO WAY!!! It’s super hard, but I have some questions you can ask yourself to help you figure out what kind of rhythm best suits your life right now. There are important things to consider when developing harmony with your faith, family, and career. The kind of harmony that leaves you feeling like you’ve given your best in the business world and shown up in meaningful ways for your family, as well.
Get out your journal, jot down your responses to these questions and the answers for how YOU can give your best for your business and have energy for your family at home will come rising to the surface.
What does success look like for you?
This is not a natural question that comes to mind. But it’s such a helpful one!
The American culture 100% has a vision of success. And I bet you can give a pretty detailed description of everything on that list. (the look, the car, the house, the vacation, the salary, the job title…) But, is that truly your definition?
If we don’t think about it, we will generally default to the cultural definition of success and use that to see if we “measure up”. Which we honestly never feel quite like we do.
So, I suggest you think about it! What does being successful mean to you? What does it mean for you to give your “best for the business”? What does giving energy to your family look like for you?
Be clear. Paint a picture of your expectations for what a successful life looks like for you. If you’re in a relationship, invite your partner to participate in this exercise. It can be so enlightening to dream/discuss together! I suggest that you journal your answers to the questions and keep it someplace where you can return when you forget.
What stage of business are you in?
What type of business/career do you have? What support is needed?
These are important considerations when deciding what “best for business” means. A start-up business or young entrepreneur needs different energy than a well-established business or a seasoned professional. An executive that wants to promote to the next level in their company or a business owner looking to expand will have different expectations than the person preparing to sell their business or retire.
Here are some examples of stages of business that you may be able to relate to:
Ideation
At this stage of business, you’re spending time thinking about starting a business, doing market research on varieties of products or services, looking up a business model, writing a business plan, and raising startup costs. This kind of work can often be flexible and the urgency will be mostly in your control.
WORK FROM HOME
To many parents this sounds like the ultimate dream, to work from home, and it can be! But it can also be one of the most difficult situations in which to manage your work and personal life. The lines get so blurred!! This can be true for the remote job, the business owner, the home-based business, and/or the service-based business. Each of these will require different energy and tasks to give your “best”. Running a business from home needs clear boundaries.
Family business
A family business can be a blessing or a curse with work and life harmony. Ideally, your family has your best interests at heart and will work with you to create the situation that best suits your needs, but there can also be challenging family dynamics at play that complicate the situation.
Start Up, Building, or Scaling
Each of these stages of business has different requirements for giving your “best”.
What is your role in the family and what do you want/need to have energy for?
Quality vs Quantity. Which time is most important in this season of your family’s life? Are you at a stage with young ones and not a lot of hands-on help? You’ll need a large quantity of time to be able to attend to their needs. Do you have a support network that helps with some of the day-to-day tasks? You’ll want to be sure and carve out some quality time with your family so you can be intentional with your presence and attention.
What do you need time for at home? Make sure you consider all of the chores and responsibilities you have at home. In fact, it can be very helpful to consider running your household like a business–one where you share the load and delegate tasks, giving everyone in the home more time for rest, relaxation, and fun!
What do you need to do to care for your personal needs?
Take a close look at your sleep, exercise, and nutrition. These are essentials for right now, not for later. I’m not talking about implementing a fresh round of 75 Hard, folks. Just considering what little steps you’re taking every day to make sure you’re taking care of your body–it’s the only one you’ve got!
Finding harmony with your faith, family, and career.
Based on your needs, your business and the way you structure it may be quite unique–you may not be able to copy and paste a business model that works just fine for someone else.
Chat GPT may not understand the priorities of your unique life, and why should it?
You are an individual. You have gifts, strengths, and a calling that is meant for you. You don’t fit in a box. You were made to stand out!
Our Design Your Life Workshop was created with you in mind. You’ll be able to identify your priorities, write your personal mission statement, craft a long-term vision that is clear about your business, family, and personal desires, and set goals that help you give your best in business and have energy left for yourself and your family.
Click here to learn more about our Online course, in-person workshops, and personalized VIP days (virtual or in-person).