Achieving the perfect work-life balance when self employed

After months of planning, decision making and soul searching, you have left your previous lifestyle behind to embark on a journey of self-employment in order to make the lifestyle you dreamt about a reality.

Friends, who raised concerns about your reduced income, lack of security and combining running a business with family life, now support your decision to ‘go it alone’, are envious and the future seems bright.

Self-employment is often seen as a means of improving work/life balance in order to eliminate competing demands of work and home on our time and sanity. But this can lead to stress, counter-productivity in all areas of our lives and a sense of being out of control.

In order to lead the life you desire, it is important to recognise why you wanted to change your lifestyle in the first place. For some this will mean making dramatic changes and for others it may be reducing hours of work.

Work/life balance is about people having a measure of control over when, where and how they work. It is important to recognise that our desired work/life balance will alter with the stages in our lives. Awareness of what is important to you now and in the future and then setting manageable goals to achieve your desired outcomes, is crucial to personal and professional success.

If, for example, you have chosen to opt out of a demanding job to spend more time with your family, you will need to examine your existing mindset as you will have undoubtedly adopted the culture of your previous workplace. So consider what mental and physical changes you need to make.

Start by devising a personal development plan outlining your desired work, home and social goals and establish ways of achieving them. It is important to re-visit these goals regularly to see if they need to be updated or changed. A written plan enables you to see which areas dominate your life and you can decide if you need to re-dress the balance.

Adopting a flexible approach to your lifestyle can help you achieve your desired work/life balance. There will be times when your business is busy and equally times when it is quiet, so it is important to plan for these peaks and troughs in order to stay focused and to make the best use of your time.

Having more quality time in your life means being aware of your personal values. Prioritise and update your values regularly; having a self-awareness of what it is really important to you will help you keep a positive outlook during any periods of self-doubt.

Many people underestimate how important it is to stay motivated and self-disciplined. Examine your strengths and weaknesses and develop ways of improving those areas you know need improving. If you struggle with effective time management, train yourself to work to a daily schedule, working on tasks in order of priority.

Self-employment can be isolating and lonely and you may miss work colleagues support. Although supportive friends and family may not be able to empathise with your lifestyle, networks such as WIRE* provide an ideal forum to share experiences with other women who will identify with your experiences.

Finally, don’t forget to believe in yourself. You will be your harshest critic and no one else will impose such exacting standards to live by. And if you are happy with your new lifestyle, be assured you have found the perfect work/life balance for you.

*This article of Pavlenka’s was published in WIRE magazine summer 2008

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