Is your career a blessing to you and your family or a curse? Can you truly achieve family business balance?
In my last post I wrote about balancing business and family... today I want to continue the theme.
I've heard it said that you should choose a career you love. It is said if you do something you enjoy you will never have to work a day in your life.
In theory this sounds great, but is doing what you love realistic? Is it possible to both follow your passion and support your family?
I believe it is possible to have a meaningful career and a happy home life. But it doesn't come easy.
I have had the privilege of owning 8 successful businesses over the course of my career.
I have experienced both great failure and great success. At times I felt like throwing in the towel and applying at the local hardware store as a clerk. Other times I felt like the most blessed man on earth.
In the very beginning, most of my trouble came because I did not have my priorities in order.
I would work from dawn till dusk. I would spend an inordinate amount of time creating strategies and setting goals, all at the expense of my health and family.
A few years into this unbalanced approach to work I came to an important realization. I only have one chance with my wife and children. It was time for a priority reorganization.
It's hard to keep your focus in all the right places all the time.
When the children are young and you're newly married you never seem to have enough money. It seems the only way to make enough is to work more and more and more... Which ends up hurting the ones you're trying to help.
I remember wanting a nice house in a decent neighborhood. I wanted to provide a great life for my wife and kids.
The strange thing is as I worked harder and the income increased we didn't end up with more time together. We just seemed to have more payments - and a whole lot more stress.
So how do you accomplish success at home and in your career?
How can a young family make ends meet without losing what is most important?
We realized - after years of reckless spending and poor planning - our way was not working.
It was time to cut up the credit cards and stop buying things that we could not afford. Rather than buying on impulse we decided we would start to make a plan for our money! Yes, we started budgeting.
We had always just bought it first and then figured out how to pay. It turned out a budget was a much better plan. Because of our monthly "money plan" the credit cards were paid off and irrational spending stopped.
While the budget helped us with our checkbook - we still had to figure out my schedule. I wanted to be home more with the family but the never ending pull of building my career was always present.
My career was very important and I had a lot of responsibility. I couldn't just choose to not show up to go to lunch with my wife. There were many families depending on the success of our business. I was exhausted and guilt ridden trying to figure out how to balance family and career.
My true desire was to be successful in both family and business. Was it possible? Yes. But it took a lot of open and honest discussion with my wife. We had to let go of some "wants" and learn to delay some desires. It wasn't easy but it was worth it. We started to learn a new word "self discipline". We were so much happier because of it.
I love what Dave Ramsey says about finding that family business balance...
A balanced life doesn’t occur randomly. You have to be intentional about it, setting goals in all areas—career, financial, spiritual, physical, intellectual, family and social...So many people work crazy hours and ignore their family, and, before they know it, their spouse and kids are gone... (read the full article HERE)
A balanced life doesn’t occur randomly. You have to be intentional about it, setting goals in all areas—career, financial, spiritual, physical, intellectual, family and social. Dave believes it is so important, he has included it as a major part of a lesson at each EntreLeadership Master Series. “So many people work crazy hours and ignore their family, and, before they know it, their spouse and kids are gone,” Dave says. “Sharon and I manage our lives very clearly by a calendar and intentionally make time for each other and our family. We put down Dave and Sharon date nights, getaways and family vacations.” - See more at: https://www.entreleadership.com/articles/quick-tip:-how-to-have-a-balanced-life#sthash.o0FXKRoR.dpuf
I know it is possible to have a meaningful career and a happy home life.
But you AND your spouse are going to have to work together and practice a lot of self discipline. You will have to learn to say "no" in the short term so you can say "yes" in the long term. In the battle between career vs family - there really doesn't have to be any losers - it all depends on you.
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