“There’s never enough time.” Ever said that? Our culture suffers from time poverty as a whole. There is one group that probably suffers the most, small business owners (and sales people) with families. The reason for this, one word “demand.” People demand your time. I have begun to reframe this thought in my head and found that my clients demand my time and my family needs my time. We spend most of our time at work which is acceptable. What’s not acceptable is spending so much time at work that the family loses out. It’s a tough balance for a business owner. There is so much that needs to be created, managed, sold. In the early stages of business you are the CEO, CFO, COO, CIO, and maintenance guy at the at the same time. I have even seen some of my friends use work as an escape from their family. What they are escaping is the opportunity for great memories.
Below are some ideas that you may want to ponder:
1. Your kids are growing quickly. Don’t miss out on their lives.
2. The world won’t end if things get pushed to tomorrow. Allow yourself more time. Get better at time estimating.
3. Prioritize your time, clients, money, and efforts.
4. There is no such thing as a family bail out. – Future post coming.
5. Set a goal to have 5 dinners a week with the whole family.
If you are an average worker you may spend 9 hours of your day dedicated to work and only get two real hours with your family if your lucky. The two hours are much more important. You have probably heard the study that says the average father only spends 15 minutes a day speaking with their children. While it seems unthinkable it’s probably more real than you think. Your kids want your time more than they want you money. They may not always vocalize that, just know its true.
This topic is one I continually work on and have been in success mode and failure mode at many times. There are tough seasons where you have to work a lot and there are seasons where you can spend more time with family. The goal is to have more of the later while the business is still working hard for you.
Till next time – it’s a blessed life,
Joseph Cortez
Joseph Cortez 