Make Yourself a Business Priority

How much importance do you place upon meeting deadlines? Upon achieving goals? Upon investing in your business, your career, your work? Now: how much of a priority are….you? It’s easy – all too easy – to burn the candles at both ends in pursuit of your life and professional goals. Some of us want more freedom than a 9-5 provides and we leave to work for ourselves. Working for yourself, however, can be a slippery slope and you can end up losing even more freedom. You say yes to every awesome possibility that comes your way – and, voila! you’re working 12-17 hours a day. Yikes.

Self-care is important. We all struggle with finding that delicate balance of working to improve your life and taking care of yourself in the right now. Here are some ways to get balanced – starting today.

1. Schedule ‘YOU’ Time

Start putting yourself up there on your list of daily priorities. Not networking. Not working on your elevator pitch. But focus on things you love, that make you feel good, that have nothing to do with work. You don’t need to book a week long cruise in the Bahamas to take better care of yourself. Start small. Read a good book (not a professional development one!). Cook a great meal. Put the phone away. Don’t look at the clocks. Remember that work isn’t the only thing that needs your undivided attention.

2. Work Smarter

Are you as productive as you could be? Do you spend hours on end finishing a project? Do you forget to eat? Do you skip breakfast – lunch – dinner ? If you find yourself not taking care of yourself while you work, chances are your work is suffering too. It’s transformative to take breaks while you work. To refresh. Look up. Remember that you need to refuel the engine to keep going. Break things down into smaller pieces. Work more efficiently – not longer stretches of time.

3. Take Stock of Your Accomplishments

When you focus on big goals, it’s easy to lose sight (all too quickly) of all of the smaller goals you meet along the way. Make a weekly appointment with yourself to take stock of your week’s accomplishments. Focus on what you did to take care of yourself, of your business and of your goals. Reflect on what you could do better. This small idea works when you work it.

Key Takeaway for Everyone:
You can’t build a skyscraper without a solid foundation – and you can’t go as far as you want to unless you take good care of number one. Schedule yourself into your busy life – trust us, you’ll thank yourself for it.

Key Takeaway for Real Estate Investors:
When you work for yourself, you usually work harder and longer than the 9-5. Finding that ideal balance is no easy task. Take a big step toward getting more you time by actually scheduling yourself some quality time to do the things you love or the things you need. Don’t forget to smell the roses today while you’re looking to grow a garden for tomorrow.

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