The world we live in is so completely different from the one our parents or grandparents grew up in. Many families have 2 working parents, often with jobs outside the house, plus the insane amount of children’s activities our generation seems to feel are necessary for our kids’ development.

For those of us who are business owners, the challenges can be even greater. Yes we may work from home, but it isn’t always as glamorous as it sounds. Building a business can be a tough gig!

If you’re working on a launch or a big project for a client, you may need to work longer hours – or you may find that you spend more time trying to get back on task after you’ve been interrupted yet again by some well-meaning family member. (#beenthere)

It’s Time For Some Real Talk

Working at home is amazing and it’s terrible. If you don’t set boundaries with your family and create intentional habits and routines surrounding your work, it can easily take over your life.

My guess is that you originally started your business, at least in part, because you wanted to have more freedom and flexibility in your schedule. So what happens if you work from home, but you feel like you’re chained to your desk all. day. long?

First I want you to take a deep breath. Working day and night may work for a couple of days when you’re up against a big deadline, but it isn’t a sustainable business practice. And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you’re not actually super human. Yes, you’re great, I promise. But you do have a breaking point.

If you want to learn to successfully balance your business with your kids + family, you need to be willing to step back and take an honest assessment of your time, your workload and your priorities. And then you need to be willing to make some changes in how you’re currently doing things.

I put together my top 3 tips for moving the needle towards a balanced work / life schedule, but know that true balance doesn’t exist. It’s a myth. The goal is not to have everything perfectly balanced at all times, but rather to feel like the priorities YOU have chosen are staying front and center in your life.

Ok, let’s dive into my 3 tips…

Create Good Routines

I know this one sounds easy, but it’s actually super easy to overlook. You wake up, scroll Instagram, check your email, have a little coffee or breakfast and then you dive into work without much thought about anything else. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with this scenario, BUT I challenge you to sit down and think about how you really want to start your day.

Do you want the first things entering your brain to be little bits of other people’s lives you see on Instagram or endless to dos that are piling up in your inbox? If that’s how you’re used to starting the day, I challenge you to shake things up a bit.

The morning is a great time to set the mood for the day. If you aren’t an early riser, don’t worry. I’m not going to tell you that it’s necessary if you want to be successful. Honestly the time you get up matters less than how you start your day.

If you’re always in a rush or you start right in on the requests from everyone else, it’s going to have an impact on your mood and your mindset. Consider instead, taking a few minutes when you first get up to meditate, do a devotional or read something that inspires you.

This doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment either. Even 3-5 minutes can make a difference!

Think about what would make you feel inspired and motivated to tackle your work and then add it to your morning routine. Keep it simple and you’re much more likely to stick with it.

Ok, on to number 2.

Manage Your Time Wisely

I know, this one also sounds easy right? Maybe it’s just me, but I know I’ve been working and looked at the clock, only to notice I’ve “worked” all day and don’t have anything to show for it. #sofrustrating 

I know how tempting it is to open your email first thing and start responding to all the fires you find in there, but if you want to keep your business (and clients) from taking over your life, you need to set some boundaries.

The first step is to create a schedule for yourself. Choose which hours you’re willing to work each day and STICK TO THEM. If you decide you want to quit at 5pm each day, be true to your word. I’d also recommend choosing which hours you will work on client tasks and when you will work on your own business tasks.

The second step is to figure out how you work best – do you need to timeblock your tasks? Are you better at batching similar tasks or do you need to work on one project at a time? Would you benefit from using the Pomodoro method so you can work in a short sprint and then take a break?

Once you know your hours and how you’re going to structure them to be the most efficient, it’s time to put it in your calendar. It doesn’t matter if you’re a paper and pen girl or you’re #teamdigital4life, just get your day set up on the calendar so you don’t have to waste time wondering what to do and when. Just open your calendar and do what’s it says.

Ok so far you’re doing great. Are you ready for the last tip? Well here you go…

Choose Your Priorities

This one seems SO OBVIOUS right? I mean clearly your family is your priority. But if I followed you around for a couple of days, would I be able to tell that? Especially when it comes to our families, it’s easy to take for granted that they know we care and that they’re important to us.

On the flip side, it’s also ok for you to have other priorities in addition to your family. If you’re knee deep in a big project and need to have your focus on your business for a short time, that’s ok. Just be honest with your family about the timeline and what you need. Let them know that while you may be focused on your business now, once this project ends you’ll return to normal.

Take some time to write out your top 2-3 priorities and then make sure the schedule you just created allows you to put your focus on the things that matter. If not, it’s ok to tweak your schedule. The beauty of being a business owner is that YOU are in control.

By creating a more intentional routine for how you start the day, creating a time management system that works for you and keeping your priorities front and center you’re definitely going to be inching closer to that ever-elusive work / life balance.

As a mama + business owner, I’m in the trenches with you. I know it can be a struggle some days, but I also know it’s possible to run a profitable business AND be present for your family. All it takes is a little intentional planning.

You’ve got this, friend!