Working women and entrepreneurs are dealt with the shortest straw in the grand scheme of life. They not only have to fight and work hard for equal status in the workplace (which is predominantly male) but have to balance their work life with family responsibilities and obligations. More often than not, both suffer due to improper management of time, and the line between work and home gets blurred.
Following are some tips that women can apply in their lives to achieve a balance between work and home, while not compromising productivity.
Implement a closed-door policy
This is especially for women who work from home. While working, family members and other distractions may cause you to lose concentration, and thus lower your productivity. The best way to ensure this does not happen is by imposing a closed door rule. Explain to your children that mommy needs quiet time to work, and enlist the help of your spouse or an understanding adult.
Take out time for yourself and your family
Most hard working people in their quest to achieve the ultimate success forget the one thing that truly matters, their loved ones. This is why it is important to spend some quality time with them if only once a week. Schedule a day, and spend it solely with friends or family. Don’t forget to take out some special time for yourself as well.
Learn when to say NO
It can be difficult to say no, whether in business or in life. Often at times, we simply can’t afford to say this simple word. But learning when to say ‘No’ and in a way that it doesn’t hurt the feelings, will pay off. After all, you will have to set priorities first to achieve the perfect work-home balance.
Set long term plans
You most probably planned ahead and set some long-term goals at the start of the business. The same can be applied to your life as well. Some target accomplishments, for example, may include learning another language or planning to put a down payment on a home. Planning and handling goals for the long term will help make short term decisions easier.
Be flexible in your routine
People who have a lot going on in their life, schedule each and everything days in advance and go through their daily routine stringently. There are some unforeseen circumstances that can throw a wrench into the carefully planned day, and throw you off. One thing to remember is, balance is not a permanent state but about taking time for yourself, your loved ones and your business, without sacrificing one for the other.
You are only human, so it’ll help to know and respect your limitations. In the end, your loved ones will cherish and support you to the very end.
