Entrepreneurs: Here’s How to Increase Your Satisfaction in Both Work and Life | Tech News

BY Young Entrepreneur Council – 26 Jun 2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

It’s no secret that entrepreneurs are busy. Their work day doesn’t often end at 5 o’clock. Luckily, these fast-paced leaders derive satisfaction from career success and watching their businesses grow, but that doesn’t mean they don’t make time for personal pursuits, too.

These six entrepreneurs share the tactics they have used to increase their fulfillment in both the personal and professional spheres. Hint: Establishing balance is key.

Banish unproductive emotions.

If your mind is always elsewhere, you won’t be able to devote yourself to your personal or professional life. Saloni Doshi, CEO of Eco Enclose, LLC, knows that you can’t be productive unless you focus your thoughts on what is in front of you.

“Don’t let unproductive emotions and stress impact your entire life. Entrepreneurs can’t clearly divide work and life, but they can better live in the moment,” she says. “If you’re in a meeting, be in the meeting, not mentally hashing through a customer mishap. If you’re with your kids, enjoy them fully and don’t sneak peeks at your phone to see if a prospect has emailed you back.”

Incorporate family into your work.

Rather than completely segmenting the two spheres, Leila Lewis, founder and CEO of Be Inspired PR, has found satisfaction in bringing work and family together at every opportunity. If you have a busy work schedule, taking your family along for the ride can make it feel more balanced.

“Incorporate your personal life into your business world where and when you can. Since I work with many lifestyle brands, my children are often able to attend daytime events with me, or my husband and I can take long weekend getaways to check out new destinations,” she says. “It’s still work, but it’s a rewarding way to combine the two sides of my life.”

Meditate every day.

“It’s easy to feel stressed, anxious or overwhelmed when thinking about past mistakes or upcoming deadlines,” says Mark Krassner, founder and CEO of Expectful. But taking a few minutes out of your everyday routine to reflect will leave you with a clearer head to face the challenges at hand.

“Making meditation a regular part of my daily routine has taught me to focus on the present moment,” he says. “By focusing on what is in front of me, I’m able to better enjoy the present, which has contributed to greater life satisfaction.”

Timebox your schedule.

Blocking out time during the week for both work-related and personal activities fosters work-life balance — and prevents burnout. Russell Kommer, president of eSoftware Associates Inc, makes time for distinct tasks to further his business without compromising his down time.

“When you first start a business, it’s natural to feel like you need to answer every email immediately. This can lead to massive task overload,” he says. “I am most effective when I set blocks of time for activities that are consistently scheduled. For instance, sales calls happen Tuesday and Thursday. Monday is for marketing and Friday for self-enrichment. This could mean a long morning bike ride into a slower paced day responding only to important emails.”

Keep making goals.

Bryce Welker, CEO of Crush The LSAT, sets new goals for himself as fast as he achieves old ones. After all, there’s nothing more satisfying than feeling you have accomplished something that you worked hard toward.

“Something that has helped me find satisfaction from my career and life has been to continually set goals for myself. Sometimes these goals are to learn a new skill or achieve a certain amount of sales in a year,” he says. “Whatever they are, the important thing is that I keep making new goals after accomplishing old ones.'”

Find balance.

“Identify the priorities in both spheres of your life, professional and personal, and never put a priority in one over the other,” says Ryan Wilson, founder and CEO of FiveFifty. This allows you to establish boundaries to prevent withdrawing from your most important commitments.

“As a father, I treat commitments I make to my family with the same weight as I would to a client or corporate partner,” he adds. “Keeping this balance top of mind helps prevent one sphere from overtaking the other, thereby minimizing worry that you’ll come up short in either.”