I am so proud of the fact that I have been married to the world's best husband for 29th years and have 2 fantastic kids in which I am such a proud parent. But there is major pain in the family unit and the pain is self-inflicted and has the name "Entrepreneur" associated with it.
I hope you can relate. Like many of you, I started my business years ago after a long but frustrating career as a corporate workhorse. While in the corporate world, I was the one to stay late, do a little more than expected, and attempt to juggle my work and home life. But at least I could "turn it off" for a little while when I got home.
As an entrepreneur, the work doesn't stop, the days never end and the guilt can grow as the days go by. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to experience success in the way of finances, but at what cost to the human spirit? When do you pull back the reins and say...where did my day go? Where did the weekend go? When did my daughter get taller than me?
How bad is it that I call my husband on his cellphone when he is downstairs to see what he wants for dinner? Is it just a good use of time? Okay, all you therapists and business coaches, stop foaming at the mouth. I know this isn't a good situation but I've made a little pack with myself (after many years of denial).
Carve out time for my family and myself.
There. I said it. And as of this article, it's manifesting as you read. I'm not much of a meditation person, but at 7:00 am each day, no one will be able to reach me and the only thing I will hear are my own breaths in and breaths out. Setting a date night on the calendar again and reserving one day a week for me to reconnect with family. And no phone in my hand.
As an entrepreneur, I know if I don't keep challenging myself, learning the trends, and dreaming and doing, the clients get frustrated, and the bank account gets tighter. That FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) rings loudly in my head more times than I wish to admit. But I realize the time I spend on my own well being connects me deeper to my friends and family, creates new visions and ideas that help my business keep going and my clients happy as pigs in...well you know. I am one of those people that ALWAYS has a new idea brewing and that will never stop because that is who I am and what I bring to the table as a marketer. This year will be the hardest one yet because the end result is what we all deserve....a happy life. It starts with the end in mind and at the end of my life I wish to be well respected by my peers, appreciated by my clients and most of all... loved wholeheartedly by my family and my friends.
You know the old saying, "the work can expand to fill the time" but only if I allow it to be that way. So here's to choking back the urge to check one last email for the night, write one more page of copy while the idea is in my head, or missing a music concert my daughter is playing in because the West Coast can only meet at 4:00 their time.
Can you relate? What are YOU doing "fellow entrepreneur" to keep your batteries recharged and remembering to breathe?
Thanks for joining in on the conversation. I hope I'm not alone out there?