Balancing Work & Family!
What if your family does not want you to run your own business, what to do?
You are successful. You lack success and have been at this business for numbers of years. You are devoted to your work and are financially successful, yet your family sees you as being married to your business. You have a great idea, yet your family tells you that you are crazy to start a business in these economic times. Every successful entrepreneur has heard some form of these comments. When balance is what you are looking for the answers are below.
The most important concept to get our arms around is investing our time in high value activities. With everything we do our intention needs to include high value. From mowing the lawn to going to a business meeting, each step along our day has to be measured and managed for success. Just because every business person we know is going to the local networking social, we need to understand what other options are available for that time investment. The social might be a great place for rest, renew, and rejuvenation. When we attend a social event with our intention to be rest, renew, and rejuvenation then this is a great place to be. Your family on the other end might say that the time is better spent attending one of your children’s soccer games. You need to weigh family time into your measurement system as well.
We are encouraging evaluation versus compromise. When planning our day we should schedule three high value activities in our business day. For balance, we also need to understand when to schedule rest, renew, and rejuvenation. They can be scheduled in our business day. Rest, renew, and rejuvenation activities can be high value, especially when they are important to us.
Some of you might be reading this saying, “Gerry, I would love to play more golf (or read a book”…substitute anything you would like to do more.) These can absolutely become part of your intentional day.
Discovering why your family wants you to do something else is important to create positive relationships. Engaging members of your family in the TOUGH CONVERSATION can be a challenge. This is a tough conversation because few people ever do it. Normally it is with a spouse or significant other. If it is with a parent or sibling it is flat NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS unless you are dependent on them (living under their roof.) Ask what they would prefer you to do? Depending on the answer ignoring conflict by going your own way can work.
When the answer is financial and balance, refer to committing to do only high value activities with measureable and manageable intention. When dealing with your spouse, assure them that they will be involved with an evaluation of business progress every 30 days. A simple Excel Spreadsheet report will provide satisfactory information that your spouse will be satisfied with.
Your priorities need to be the family priorities. Again, compromise is the last thing I am suggesting. However, I am talking about adjustment and receiving value for your adjustment. Off time needs to include the family and what they like to do. With an open mind, we can discover joy in things we thought would always bring angst. Discover the joy of going shopping with your spouse. Women also love cars (again, substitute what you want in place of cars,) if given the opportunity to see what it is that brings us joy. As long as we do these high value, clear intent activities, that we measure and manage, you will get a return on your investment.
Gerry Rose runs INTEGRITY Networking Solutions in Oceanside, CA. He works with people in business who want to attract the right prospects and generate more referrals. More than 10,000 businesses have been presented the INTEGRITY Networking Solutions system in San Diego, Riverside, and Orange Counties.
Gerry’s stimulating presentation Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals is ideally suited for small business owners, home-based businesses, and independent professionals who want clearer direction and want to attract more prospects, develop dynamic systems, and strengthen their companies’ accountability. Gerry does one on one consulting, conducts a range of keynote speeches from thirty minutes to full-day education workshops.
His book series, Unlimited Prospects, Unlimited Referrals, are available on the website, www.integritysd.com.
Gerry has more than 20 years’ experience directing business owners how to grow their businesses. He is a networking dynamo. Those who know him will assure you that he does a great job of bringing people together—which is why he started IntegritY.
Involved with networking organizations since 1984, Gerry is a Distinguished Toastmaster, a member of Toastmaster International, and has chaired numerous chambers of commerce and non-profit organizations.
Are you truly committed to attracting the right prospects and generate more referrals? If so then contact INTEGRITY Networking Solutions for availability and information. You can contact Gerry by mail at 1610 Quiet Hills Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056. Direct dial (760) 439-4623; e-mail to gerry@integritysd.com. For more information, go to www.integritysd.com
