More on work-life balance

Here are some of the steps I took to achieve a work-life balance.

• Set up a specific area for work. Even when I had my offices and showroom locations where my employees were, I worked from home often – it was important to maintain a home office. Now I work entirely from home. It is in a separate room, with a door I can close – perfect to keep quiet during phone calls or close when the day is done. Once the door is closed for the day, I don’t enter it again until the next business day.

• Set specific hours for your work day. These hours may vary according to my peak and off-peak seasons, but either way my schedule stays basically the same. I work a set schedule and I don’t deviate from it. Unless an emergency happens, I do not work outside of those hours. There is nothing that can’t be done the next day. And while I used to sneak in a few hours on the weekends, I now leave those alone too. Family time is family time, which is just as important — if not more important — than my job. That means I’m done working at 4 p.m. so I can help with homework, cook dinner, and spend time with my kids.

• Set up a separate phone line. I don’t want my personal cell or home phone called at all hours of the day and night. If you’re running a business out of your home office, set up a dedicated line that goes straight to an out-of-office response outside your normal business hours.

• Give yourself a lunch break and a coffee break. Going 8 hours straight is not good for the soul or the stomach. I spent many days eating in front of my computer and quickly choking down a bite to answer the phone. I now step away and eat – at a table, away from my computer. My mind needs the break even if it is just for 5 or 20 minutes.

• Stop thinking about work. This is probably the hardest to achieve, for me. My mind is constantly churning out new ideas, things to try, or adding items to my to-do list. During my downtime I may be reading a number of ecommerce or SEO blogs and catching up on the latest trends. Instead of letting it consume me, I allow myself the chance to catch up on my reading during the morning over coffee. In the evening, I try to turn off all work-related distractions, including my mind.

• Don’t ignore your family or your hobbies. I learned that constant work, even if it is something you’re passionate about, can be monotonous and mundane if you do it too long. I’m a workaholic. I can’t stay idle for too long. I’m not one to sit in front of the TV for hours and vegetate. I have to be doing something at all times. But when my ecommerce business consumed all of my time, it burnt me out – and made me miss out on time spent with my family and myself. After the kids are asleep, the dishes are done, and the house is quiet, I no longer go back to work. I now pursue a new hobby: writing. Even if it’s for an hour or two before bed, I’m doing something for me.

• Be flexible. Nothing is carved in stone. Kids get sick; emergencies arise. You get a really gorgeous day in the middle of winter and you want to take off and go outside. That’s the beauty of being self-employed; you can change the rules to fit your schedule if needed. Don’t be afraid to be flexible.

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While I don’t believe in grand, sweeping New Year’s Resolutions, a few simple changes can help to make the next few wintery months a little more bearable.This article below is from here

Leave the office at lunchtime

This was one of the things I promised myself at the end of last year and it has worked wonders for my sanity and productivity. Sadly, taking an entire hour on a regular basis isn’t realistic, but what about pledging to leave the office every day at lunchtime, even if just for a five-minute walk around the block?
We’ve all somehow got used to being bound to our desks and either skipping breaks completely, or using them for yet more screen time by scrolling through Facebook. Breaking this habit, even for a few minutes, can give you a fresh perspective and renewed energy.

Write shorter lists

Own up: how many of you write things on your daily to-do list purely so you can cross them off again? Writing lists can be a good start to the working day, but all too often they morph into an endless, intimidating nightmare that makes you stressed every time you glance down.
First, stop putting things on your list that you do without thinking. “Check emails” does not need to be written down. Take longer to consider what you can realistically get done in the day ahead; then write down only what you actually need to do – not the million other things to be done at some point in the future. The aim is to cross off everything on a list by the end of the day, or at least try to. Ever-increasing lists do nothing for your sense of balance or efficiency.

Make use of your “out of office”

There are few better feelings than that rush of freedom when you turn on your “out of office” before a long holiday. The idea is that anyone emailing you will know you’re away, and therefore won’t have the same expectations they would of a normal working week. So why not make use of this more often? Stress is often caused by an influx of demands, often from different people who have no idea how busy you are already. If you’re running an event then you won’t be able to approve a draft or contribute to a presentation – but the people emailing you won’t know that.
If you are so busy that you can’t do anything else, let people know and they will adjust their expectations. If they get no answer from you all day, they will push harder and make more demands. Far better to let them know straight away that you are in meetings all morning, so that they can adjust their expectations accordingly.

Get up 15 minutes earlier

This is laughable advice coming from me, as I’ve never managed to get out of bed without pressing the snooze button at least five times. However, my most successful friends have one thing in common: they all get up a bit earlier than everyone else. This might be because they’re taking the time to have breakfast, waking up with small children, or going for a 5km run – it doesn’t matter, it’s all about giving yourself a tiny extra bit of time before rushing into the madness of work. We all assume we have no time, yet we spend hours wasting it: watching mindless TV, on social media, or repeatedly set the alarm to snooze. Those few extra minutes could be the difference between arriving at work refreshed and ready to face the day, and being face down in a cup of coffee until 11am.

Stop trying to be liked, concentrate on being respected

If you only make one change this month, it should be this one. We waste a huge amount of time and energy in the workplace trying to please others: not saying no when we should, not taking credit where credit is due, not asking for a well-deserved pay rise for fear of looking pushy.
Imagine how much we could achieve by taking a step back from the politics and using that energy more productively, redirecting it back towards our work. The ultimate mark of success in the working world isn’t about being the person in the office everyone wants to go for a beer with, it’s about being the one that others aspire to emulate. This comes from creativity, passion, talent and delivering real results.
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To help entrepreneurs, managers, and employees strike the right balance, here are five ways to achieve and maintain life-work balance. There is no one size fits all approach, but hopefully, these tips will lead to productive discussions for managers and employees.
Related: Forget This Work-Life Balance Blah, Blah, Blah

1. Be open about your needs. I believe that the first thing people need to do is identify what truly matters to them and communicate it. Don’t hide it and don’t expect others to guess what makes you feel balanced and fulfilled.

Do you need to leave work at 5 p.m. so you can have dinner with your family? Do you need to step away at 12 p.m. to attend a yoga class? Whatever your sweet spot is you need to find it and be transparent about it. Employees need to have an open dialogue with their managers and managers need to understand what works and what is possible. Different jobs require different approaches, but everyone can benefit from having an open and honest conversation about what balance means.

2. Respect boundaries. You cannot achieve your balance if you don’t respect the boundaries you have put in place. It will be hard in the beginning but you need to stick with it so you develop a routine and drive a culture and lifestyle of predictability. You will find that there is also something else you can do. There is always another email to reply to or a problem to work, but you need to PERSONALLY respect your boundaries. If you don’t then you can't expect others to respect them.

Related: Work, Eat, Sleep: How These Products Are Trying to Improve Your Daily Grind

3. Understand what really matters. Over the years I have seen too many people spend too much time working on things that don’t really matter. Time is the most valuable commodity in life: it is the one thing you cannot buy more of. So, don’t waste time. Focus on what really matters. What really moves the needle for the business? Are you working on priorities that drive the overall goals of the business or are you just making noise? Really scrutinize your day and max it out every hour, minute and second to focus on the most important outputs. For some this may require a high degree of planning and structure.

4. Embrace the off button. Pretty much every piece of technology has an off button, so use it. It is not easy and for many people this is the hardest thing to do. To get started, do it in phases. Don’t bring your cellphone to the dinner table. When you are on vacation, be on vacation. Don’t bring your tablet to the beach. Once you have done it a few times, it is easier to push the boundaries. When you unplug and step back you will start to experience one of life’s greatest treasures -- perspective. You will think about problems you are wrestling with greater clarity. You allow yourself the freedom to be more analytical and less emotional when you step away and think vs. just diving in and responding in the moment.

5. Pace yourself. To have a long, healthy, productive, and happy life and career you need to understand the value of pace. There are times when you need to throttle up and there are times when you can throttle down. Self-awareness is crucial. Doing so will help you enjoy the journey as much as the destination.  

Related: How to Create a Healthy Startup Atmosphere

Excellent tips from entrepreneurs