Welcome to the new year! As we restart our lives for what’s to come, many of us look at how we can really achieve a “work/life balance”. This is one of the most popular phrases in business — and one of the most misleading. So just what does it really mean? “Work/life balance” (W/L B) doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. It’s a personal trade-off shaped by life stage, income needs, values, and tolerance for stress. For career-driven professionals, W/L B usually means that work is the priority right now, and long hours are OK if they lead to advancement, influence, or money. The reality is that the balance is put-off, not equaled. Nights and weekends are fair game, too. For hourly / shift workers W/L B usually means clear boundaries: work ends when the shift ends. Time off must actually be off. The reality for them is that the balance depends on scheduling fairness and predictability, and overtime can be both blessing and curse. Still, for entrepreneurs and business owners, it means that work and life are blurred on purpose. For these people, control matters more than hours, and the reality for them is that work never fully turns off, and balance comes in seasons, not days. Especially for business owners who are building or growing a company, the traditional idea of work–life-balance often creates frustration, guilt, and burnout instead of clarity. For example, a salaried employee can log off at 5:00 PM knowing payroll, clients, and cash flow are handled by someone else. A business owner cannot. If a major client issue arises at 6:30 PM, ignoring it can mean lost revenue or damage to the owner’s reputation and business.
The bottom line is that work/life balance does not just equal the hours of working and other life activities. It’s about control, boundaries, sustainability, and alignment with what matters now. Anyone selling a one-size-fits-all definition is either naive—or selling something. In this message, we look at work/life balance for entrepreneurs and business owners, and how to more closely achieve it. The
What Business Owners Actually Need Instead
For business owners, the goal is not balancing the time spent working and not working. The goal is alignment. For example, during a product launch or during peak event season, longer days for several weeks are done on purpose and linked to a clear outcome. After that period, there is usually a time for relaxing a bit or at least a reduction in stress levels.
The Reality of Business Seasons
Nearly every business has it periods of being busy and slowing down. The workload is not going to be at the same pace all the time. Of course, this isn’t absolute and can change at any time, and it can extend or delay the balance of time working versus not working.
Example: A meetings and events business may run at full capacity during conference season or during holidays, and slow down afterward. There are times when there are overlapping business activities, or one client right after another, but eventually there are periods of less activity.
The Real Problem Is Guilt, Not Work
Long hours are not the enemy. Unclear expectations are. In other words, long hours can or should be expected during popular, busy times. To feel guilty because you’re working too much or not relaxing enough during these times is unrealistic. Of course, you definitely shouldn’t overdo working extra hours, you need to take regular breaks and get help and delegate work if the workload gets out of hand. However, these times will happen, and you need to accept that they will and prepare for them. How you manage the extra time spent working is crucial. Working late by choice feels different than working late because everything is urgent or is expected to take extra time. Attitude and the way of looking at your situation is key. Learning and applying time management skills is critical for situations like these.
What a “Healthy Work/Life Balance” Looks Like for Business Owners
Having a “healthy W/L B” does not mean equal hours every day. By effectively and efficiently setting task priorities, and time allotments (AND STICKING TO THEM), the extra time spent will be much better managed with better outcomes. You may have to work later sometimes, but don’t make it a daily routine. Set realistic time limits. Again, if the workload becomes overwhelming and you can’t handle it, you may need to seek assistance. It may not be in your budget to hire someone, but what’s the trade-off? You may not be able to keep up the same pace, efficiency and quality may suffer, and it may cost more in the long run in lost business if you can’t meet expectations.
Bottom line – If you cannot step away without chaos, the issue may be your business design, and adjusting the workflow should really be considered.
How to Build a Business That Supports Your Life
Design working systems so that everything does not rely on you. You can’t always do everything yourself and you shouldn’t try to. If you’re the business owner you have the ultimate responsibility for what happens with your business, but HOW it happens is a result of careful consideration and planning. For example, automating scheduling or delegating vendor coordination can reclaim several hours each week. The more tools and automation you can use to make your time and effort more efficient, or the more you can delegate your work, the better you can achieve what work/life balance means to you. As the old saying goes, “don’t bite off more than you can chew”. In other words, don’t take on so much work to begin with that you can’t realistically do. Learn to say “no” when you have to. A big mistake that many business owners make is not knowing or accepting their limits even in the face of competition. Many people will argue, “easier said than done”. Perhaps in the short-term, but in the long-run, this will only affect you and your quality of life later, and the work/life balance you look for will only be harder to find.
The Bottom Line
Work/life balance is about intentional choices, not equal hours. Working the same amount of time as you don’t work will not necessarily give you the work/life balance you seek. You must make careful choices about how to balance your time – sometimes working (a lot) more than at other times. With purposeful planning though, you can achieve a healthy and enjoyable balance between work and life. Ultimately, it’s up to you.
If you would like help designing a business that actually supports your life, contact us here to connect with Meetings and Events – Accomplished!.
So, as a business owner, how do maintain a healthy work/life balance? We’d love to hear your suggestions and feedback. Leave a comment, “Like” this posting, and subscribe to our blog (spam-free, we promise!).
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