In thinking of ourselves as entrepreneurs—and we should be, no matter our current roles—we spend a lot of time working hard to satisfy our clients, to fulfill our obligations, to grow our businesses and careers, and to improve our skills. But if all you have the energy to do when you finally stop working (if you stop working) is fall into bed, you can’t enjoy all that success and growth along the way. When was the last time you did something just for yourself? If you can’t answer right away – it’s been too long! Here are a few tips to help:
Take care of your body—Don’t put off medical issues while you are busy. Make an appointment for a checkup as soon as you need one and keep it (just as you would an important client meeting). Don’t wait until it’s an emergency – which will definitely be a lot more difficult to schedule last minute.
Re-energize—Only you can say what gets you excited and motivated to meet the challenges of your day. Whether it’s exercise, reading, music, art or nature, carve time out of every week to do what makes your heart sing.
Be an efficiency expert—There could be faster and easier ways to accomplish what you have on your plate that would leave you with more personal time. Before diving into a project, take a little time to think about how to streamline your process.
Set short-term, medium-term and long-term goals—It’s hard to stop work at 5:30 or 6 when you see all the incomplete tasks on a project. Set priority to tasks and have a clear idea of what you must accomplish today, this week and this month to achieve those goals. Don’t forget to schedule time for your personal commitments as well.
The saying goes, “Nobody says on their deathbed I wish I had spent more time at the office.” What do you wish you were spending more time on? Make the time.
Wendy Stackhouse, for Artisan Creative