Expressed opinions Entrepreneur Contributors own.
With all the chatter around work-life balance, it’s easy to feel guilty every time you work late. We are so accustomed to this idea that, somehow, we live in a zero-sum game situation and choosing to spend time at work must be to the detriment of our family.
That’s rubbish! The reason is here.
First, we do not live under the tyranny of a zero-sum situation. Our kids have a tendency to engage in lots of pearl-clutching, emotional morality. The reality is, though, that spending time working on your mission in life is not really detrimental to your family. Unless of course, that Is Your mission but I should not expect!
Before delving deeper into why it is not wrong to put work first, I would like to point out one important fact: guilt is of no use. If you are sitting at your desk, holding the keyboard in one hand and birch twigs in the other, you are hardly going to be your most productive. This article is not about encouraging you to neglect in any way, but about ensuring that you can build a harmonious life for yourself, your vision and your family – a holistic life where you can be present for everyone. , In all situations.
As I say, the first thing to get out of the way is guilt. It can only hinder your progress in all cases. The next step is to choose a suitable place to spend quality time with family. Whatever that looks like to you.
My best friend and my most recent guest Beyond Success In the podcast, Yannick Silver spends a lot of time with some high-profile business owners. Sir Richard Branson is one such person, and during a trip to Neckar Island, Branson said that buying the island was the best thing ever for his family, because it gave them a playground, a place where they could come and take friends. Stay together
I’m not so deaf-mute that I can suggest that we all just pop out and buy a Caribbean island, dust our hands and declare “work done” but the principal holds the water. There are more pedestrian levels to do this that most of us can achieve realistically. We can get a holiday home by sharing a time somewhere, for example, or renting a villa somewhere every year. Heck, you can buy a big tent and camp on the same lake every year. The key is to find a place that is fun to spend time with, and open up to the whole family.
Related: 15 Ways to Better Balance Your Work-Life as a Parent and Entrepreneur
Your networking starts at home
Another pearl of family knowledge that Yannick Brandson has collected is to get your kids involved in your dreams wherever possible. Even in the early days of the Virgin, when they lived in a houseboat, Branson involved his kids in his business dealings and negotiations. Even though they were very young, he would ask their opinions and talk to them.
This does not mean that you should allow them to make business calls or draft the terms of the agreement, but the key is to involve them. Feel the dream / goal / mission part by talking to them. Not only will they be more inclined to invest and support you, but you will also have a sound board consisting of people who have the best interests at heart (which are connected to them).
Related: 5 reasons why ‘family’ and ‘business’ are mixed
Remember why you put work first
Ultimately, the whole point of being an entrepreneur is to create a more fulfilling life for your family and leave a legacy. Part of that legacy, of course, is to encourage your kids to live a wider life, so why not start now? What better way to teach them than to work?
Let your kids see that it’s okay to follow their dreams and aspirations. Show them that failure is a part of it, but so is wealth and perseverance. Be a guiding light for them to show that they have it in them to go the distance. Plant its seeds in them, and you will see amazing things from them in their youth.
The real reason is not to put work first: you are not
By prioritizing your mission and involving your family in that mission, you are putting everyone else first. Completing your mission involves not only them; It is Is If you take an holistic approach to them, in which you have adequately resourced to take care of everyone, you will begin to see solutions. If you insist on dividing your life, you will only face more conflict in different aspects and will be forced to choose.
It is entirely possible to succeed in your mission and have a healthy relationship with your family. Others have succeeded in doing so simply by rearranging how they view their mission. If they can, you can.
Why not reach out to someone who did it and ask for their guidance? My business consultant, Greg S. Reed, likes to say, “Search the council, not the opinion.What he means is the merits of the award above acquaintance. Don’t talk to people you know about how to solve your problems because you know them. They may have great judgment, but have they really walked the path you want to walk? Probably not, and so, they can only give you their opinion, not practical guidelines.
Related: If you want to be successful, stop focusing on work-life balance
So, in a nutshell:
- It is not wrong to put work first.
- Take the guilt out of the equation.
- Find a place that is special for your family where you can spend time together regularly.
- Involve your family in your mission and make them part of it.
- Find a council for those who have done this successfully.
I wish you more joy, abundance, purpose and fulfillment. I and others are living proof that it is possible, without any inheritance or inherent benefit. You do not have to choose. You can get it all, so choose it.
