How do you balance work and family life?

I have a wife and three kids (4,2,1 that is what happens when you work from home) I would say that I could do a better job and balancing work and family but I do the following things

It's an obsession. No other way to say it.

There's a quote (I don't know the origin): "Sleep is that time when you work on your business while being unconscious."

Is there a balance? I'm not sure. There wasn't for me. My wife had a lifestyle business and eventually there was a good balance but it took years for her to get there.

Work always expands to fill the time you give it. I find the only thing to do is to set strict time limits and that forces me to prioritise.

You do not "balance" work and family. Set and meet your obligations to your family; set and adhere to boundaries for your work. Where you feel that you lack time to get your work done, substitute cleverness — always pursue the simplest, most direct solution.

work. life. sleep. choose two.

(This is a reaction to some of the responses, more so than to the question itself.)

If you are so obsessed with your business that you have no time for your spouse and children, then, forgive me, but you have a problem that needs to be addressed. If the situation lasts only briefly, or pops up intermittently, that's normal; however, if "obsessed with work" is your normal mode, then you risk losing the people you love.

There is another dimension here as well. As an employee, I would not want to work for anybody who was willing to give up his family for his business. I want to work for an individual whose priorities I admire and share, not somebody I fear is going to expect me to make the same sacrifice he has made. So, in the end, your obsession can also hurt your business, as you alienate your employees even as you disengage from your family.

I'm not immune to this challenge; none of us are. But as human beings, and as "people-centered leaders," we owe it to ourselves and to our employees to keep our priorities straight. Starting a new business is hard. Starting a new family is much harder.

Scott

LOL - and you are asking other entrepreneurs like me who would answer your question at 1:11 am?

Shotokan Karate is my best escape. I'll find myself thinking about business in the inital meditation, but by the time a class is done my mind has been wiped clean ... fully ready for another major business session! (But even in Karate I tend to be a bit obsessive ... must be an entrepreneurial character trait!)

I use a Task manager application on my iPhone. I add some business tasks like meetings, new product ideas. Some personal goals like reading, listening to audiobooks, working out. Then some family goals like going on day trips, dinners our etc.

The real goal is just to remind me to balance my life.

It depends on the situation. If your wise knew that you are an entrepreneur when you got married, then she made a concise choice (for better or for worst). That being said, you want to make sure you don't loose her or miss out on your children growing up.

As long as you keep your promises (don't miss any birthdays or anniversaries) and you keep her informed about your plans in advanced, you should be fine. Make sure that you set aside some quality time with her, and the rest of the time is yours to use (you can meet friends or watch a game on TV, or you can work on your own time)

Don't waste time while in work. Finish the work on time so that you can have time for the family.

Badly. You can only have one number-one priority, after all. Sometimes it's work, and sometimes it's something else.

But I know I'd be less satisfied with myself and my life if I weren't working on an engaging and absorbing project.

You don't balance. Either you are obsessed with making a success of your business or it's a hobby. My wife knows that it's either this or she works full-time :-)

The most important thing is to have a personal vision. Write down in detail what you expect from running your business. Probably financial security i one thing, but what do you want your family life to be? Your influence on your children? Your relationships? What about personal development? Community or social causes? If you clearly think through what you are seeking from your life, balance becomes fairly simple. The priorities are plain.