Being pulled in too many directions?

Start by managing yourself.
You are a business owner, a parent, a sister, niece, child, grandchild, and more. Balancing all those roles can be challenging. Don’t let these challenges overwhelm you. Here are a few tips to consider when balancing work and family feels like too much.

Manage yourself first.
To successfully lead and manage others, you must first manage yourself. As the airlines say, put on your mask first before helping others. How are you spending your time? What investments are you making in your health and in your own development? What is pulling you off course?

“No” is not personal.
When confronted with personal or professional decisions, do not confuse how you answer with how you feel about the person you are answering. Your children and others may request things of you that are not in their own best interest or in the best interest of your business. Saying “no” to them doesn’t mean you don’t love them.

Clarify and manage expectations.
The choices you make create expectations for yourself and others. Whether you are making lifestyle choices that affect your child’s expectations for their future standard of living or making business decisions, be intentional and thoughtful about the expectations your choices are creating for your company and your family. Then communicated them clearly.

Establish separate family goals from business ones.
Designing a clear path toward achieving clearly communicated goals will help you stay focused. Put the same time, effort and energy into setting and accomplishing family goals as you do your business goals. If you create development plans for your family relationships with the same focus you put into creating a growth plan for your business, you will likely reallocate your time, resources and attention appropriately.