Here’s something that no one tells you when you go into business for yourself and that no one who DOESN’T go into business for themselves can even comprehend:
Balance and boundaries are not luxuries; they’re necessities.
Entrepreneurs can build businesses that either serve or enslave them. If you’ve started your own business and have been run ragged by all the things you felt you had to do to accommodate clients, you’re not alone. When just starting out, most people are willing to do just about anything to get the proverbial ball rolling.
Spoiler alert: This is not sustainable. No one can keep up such a rigorous pace forever. You need time to rest and cultivate clarity and balance.
What’s more, as your business grows and the details of your life bloom, it becomes absolutely impossible. Do you remember being in your 20s and actually having extra time when you had nothing to do? Blank space on your calendar?
If you own your own business, chances are those days are gone. When you grow as a person, so does your capacity. What doesn’t change is the number of hours on any given day.
So how can you find blank space on your calendar now? The secret is balance and boundaries, and here’s how you can get started being less busy and enjoying some much-needed free time.
Tips for Finding Balance and Setting Boundaries
Chances are, if you’re a business owner—especially a new one—you’re thinking there’s absolutely no way you can set boundaries with people. After all, you’re trying to get business. You need to be everything to everyone, right?
This statement isn’t only false, but will land you in hot water when you experience burnout after a few months or years of doing this. Get started setting those boundaries by taking the following steps:
1. Identify tasks you can delegate to others.
These may be customer service and sales-related tasks, among others, so you can focus on big-picture business development. Pro tip: you can even automate tasks!
2. Audit the relationships in your life.
If anyone—a client, a team member, a sibling, a neighbor—is eating up all of your energy or time, they have to go. It sounds harsh and we’re certainly not suggesting a Tony-Soprano-style “gotta go”, but if you want to change what you attract and accept in your life, you need business boundaries and life balance.
3. Remember that you are not obligated to help everyone.
Of course you’re trying to start a business, get clients, and be successful. But doing all of these things doesn’t mean bending over backwards for people. It means choosing your clients carefully and referring out the ones that aren’t a good fit for you.
So where do you lack boundaries? Where do you feel off-balance? We all struggle to maintain the right balance in our business and personal lives sometimes.
If this philosophy resonates with you, you’re not alone. So many others have come to realize that balance and boundaries are necessary to have freedom when running a business.
That’s why we started the Facebook group Get More Clients (You Love). We keep it real. We believe in real connections without people sucking energy from other people, and no BS. If all of that works for you, then we’ll see you in the group!
