5 Tips for Business Owners Struggling to Find Good Work-Life Harmony

With lots of us working from home permanently now, we have to assimilate into this not so new normal, one hundred percent now. Just because your computer is 30 feet away in the next room, doesn’t mean that you’re obligated to still work in your downtime. There will always be more work, but there won’t always be family to spend time with.

Olivia Starling, founder and CEO of jewelry brand Starlette Galleria, shares her top 5 tips for business owners struggling to find good work-life harmony.

“As I have worked on growing my business these last few years, I have had the opportunity to learn many hard lessons about work-life balance. While I’m still learning these lessons, I can see that life is happening for me, not to me, and everything ultimately falls into place. Upon meeting more CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business owners, I started to realize that most of them are spinning their wheels with making sales and keeping business going, which is why I decided to take back control of my life and to actually do something about it,” says Starling.

Tip #1: Stop striving for balance 
True harmony in life is when you accept your life will always have seasons. In some seasons, work might take a stronger priority, and in other seasons, you might find yourself diving deeper into personal relationships. Every season will impose new challenges and all seasons are important in the story of your life. Don’t discount the “less productive” seasons as unimportant. Embrace all of the ways that your life is always out of balance and you will find more peace in the season you are currently in. I have learned that my business is slower in the summer, and in the winter we get really busy. During the summer season, I give myself slack for being more relaxed about work, and in the winter, I also forgive myself for working too much. True balance happens when you embrace that life is out of balance.

Tip #2: Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize
As a CEO, Solo-Preneur, or a person in any type of business, you should constantly be looking for your top priorities and delegate the rest out. I’m constantly scanning my business for what is pushing the needle forward and prioritizing that work. The second most important priority is what you love to do in your work. Maybe you can hire someone out for social media, but you really love to connect online. I say do the social media and hire someone to check your emails while you are enjoying what you do. Everything else should be pushed to the side or delegated out. What you do every day shows where your priorities lie, and if you try to do everything, you will accomplish nothing.

Tip #3: Say no more often
In 2020, like many Americans, I felt isolated at home. In 2021, I made a goal to say yes to every opportunity presented to me. This was a drastic change and a big lesson I had to learn about the art of saying no. I wrote a chapter for a book, attended networking events, and traveled any chance I got. When I look back at the year, my business didn’t really move forward in the places I hoped it would. The biggest lesson I learned was how burnout can affect my whole life, not just business. Although the year was full of excitement and fun, I now realize that every “yes” I said to business opportunities was a “no” to something in my personal life. Discerning what will push the needle forward and fill my cup is now prioritized over pleasing everyone. This means I will partake in fewer coffee dates, lunches, and networking events that won’t make my business or personal life better. Saying no is an art and a practice that most people haven’t mastered, but every time you do it, it will get a little easier.

Tip #4: Don’t lose sight of your “why”
Many people start their own business for flexibility and freedom, just to realize that they are busier and bogged down than ever. Make sure you constantly remind yourself of your ultimate goal. Take the vacation. Skip the meeting for your daughter’s recital. Go out for date night. If Americans learned anything this last year, it is that life is precious and your why is so much bigger than business.

Tip #5: Give yourself grace
Maybe you took the phone call at dinner, snapped at your kids when you were under pressure or made a decision that seemed right, but ultimately lost money. You are human, and forgiving yourself quickly will only free up your mental capacity to move forward with your business. Dwelling on the “should haves” in life will only hold you back from moving forward. I have a practice where I try to talk to myself like I would talk to my daughter if she was in the same situation I’m experiencing. Most people talk to people they love with kinder words than they do to themselves. Take some time and reflect, journal, and tell yourself that it is ok, you will do better next time.

If you are new to eCommerce, entrepreneurship, or just want to learn from someone else’s mistakes, check out Olivia’s Top 5 eCommerce Mistakes to Avoid.”