As an entrepreneur or business professional, we all wrestle with the Family, Career, Self-care, Religious/Spiritual balance. Do you sometimes feel that in order to have more balance in your life, you will have to make life altering changes?  

 In thinking so do you find it difficult to push through some of the challenges that arise and its easier just to stay right where you are to avoid the additional overwhelm and stress?  

 While that may be true for some people, most of you will experience more ease in the transition to finding work-life balance if you start by making small, intentional changes.

Recognize that all work and no play really does make 'Jane' a total party pooper; then ask yourself, "is it REALLY worth it?". When you choose work above all else you are choosing to live a life in a single dimension ...and life has many facets so step back and appreciate all of them.  

 Often times it is the small deliberate changes that ultimately have you feeling more peaceful, content, and in control at the end of the day. Here are a few small things you can implement right away that can make a big impact in your work-life balance:

  • Choose to have a family dinner one night a week.
  • Redistribute household responsibilities
  • Ask for help when you need it and 'outsource' work tasks - let go of some of the control
  • Set a timer for important tasks and stay focused for that hour - no phone, email, answering the door 
  • declare yourself satisfied at the end of every work day
  • Spend 15 minutes a day in quiet - read, meditate, take a bath, or a cat nap. But do something.
  • Set boundaries with people you love
  • Learn to say 'No' and say 'YES' to you  
  • Journal about your success, failures and challenges
  • meet-up with the girls once a month
  • schedule self-care activities and honour that time like you for would any other important appointment 
  • Focus on Easy, Lucrative and Fun activities  
Work-Life balance is about consciously making choices - every single day that move you toward or away from balance, personal fulfilment, heath and happiness. It is about choosing where to spend your energy, your time, and even your money.   

What other small changes can you make for big impact?

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Everyone needs self care, it is a critical part of living a well-balanced life. So why aren't you doing it? Because it can be a real struggle when there are more things to juggle in your day than there is time to do them; especially if you are used to putting everyone and everything before your own needs.  

But in order for you to deal best with life's demands and be energetic and available to those you love, it is important that you make time for yourself.  

Being a burned out business owner, professional or mother is not only bad for your overall health, it's not good your business or for the rest of the family either. While you think you may be slaving away in service of others, a stressed out and frazzled 'you' can only do so much before she needs time to recharge. You only do a disservice to yourself as you become a stressed out, tired and cranky version of you. Make sure you try some of these stress busters next time you're feeling worn out.

Until you get into the habit of taking time for yourself, schedule time in your calendar to do things that you enjoy and make all necessary arrangements ahead of time, just like you would for any other important appointment. If you need to arrange for babysitters, schedule additional staff, budgeting, confirm with friends, or get help from your spouse, do not allow any obstacles to prevent you from taking time for yourself - see yourself worthy, you deserve this!     

Whether it is 15 minutes to take a warm bath, a walk around the block, or a night out with your friends, it is imperative to take care of you before stress and fatigue make you ill.    


Take a grownup time out when you find your temper reaching boiling point. Be aware it's time to take a minute to breathe. If you can, get a babysitter for an hour or see if a relative wouldn't mind watching the kids for an hour, and go shopping, go to the library, or grab a coffee. It doesn't need to be anything more than an hour, but if you spend some time doing something that you like to do on your own, you'll come back recharged and ready to jump in again.

Choose a hobby. Whether it is fitness, crafting, reading, or writing, choosesomething that you love to do.  If you love fitness, expand your horizons and try something new like dragon boat racing or indoor rock climbing. Remember to include time to reflect and tune-in, get out into nature, try meditation or yoga, join a book club or art class.

Try writing a blog. A blog is an online journal through which you can relay your triumphs and frustrations as an entrepreneur or mother. This can help you put your feelings into words. Blogs can be totally anonymous, so you can write what you want and use it as a creative outlet for your stress that builds up during the simple day to day.The more refreshed and balanced you are, the more you will be able to care for the people and things that matter most in your life.

Taking 'me time' will make a huge difference in your satisfaction and fulfillment in life.

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Work-Life Balance - it sure sounds good, but what exactly is it and how do you get it?  

Work - life balance is the dynamic interaction between ‘work’ and ‘life’. ‘Work’ is those tasks you must do to keep your life functioning - paid or unpaid, inside or outside of the home. And ‘life’ is those things you do for your own personal fulfillment - the things you really enjoy and want to do. ‘Balance’ is the ideal blend of those two areas.    

To move toward life balance, become aware of how you are spending your time. Notice where you are satisfied, where you may be imbalanced and what you would like to change. Try starting each day by asking yourself "what is it that I can do today that will serve my bigger vision"? Surely this is a much different question than asking yourself which task is the easiest to get out of the way first.  

Next create your own vision of a balanced day. How do your desire your ideal day to look while enjoying the perfect combination of ‘work’ and ‘life’? Whatever you envision, keep that a priority. Oftentimes your bigger vision gets lost in your day-to-day runnings of your work & life.  You see the work that is immediately in front of you and assume that taking care of those tasks will move you closer to your vision.

Identify the obstacles that interfere with your quest for balance such as your own thoughts, words and actions. Also look at other obstacles such as other people's opinions, schedules and actions. Check in with yourself monthly to asses what is working for you and what is not. Tip: make it a ritual to let go of 2-3 tasks or negative thoughts or actions that are no longer serving you. Letting go will help will take your mindset to a new level, ensure you are following your desire and lastly, it creates space for new and exciting opportunities to flow in!   

And finally, put it all into ‘action’. Awareness, desire and identifying your obstacles are important, but to move toward balance, you need to take action. A wonderful tool is to ask yourself mindful questions regarding the 4 areas of your life: Health & Wellbeing, Love & relationships, Finance & Business and Spiritual & Personal Growth. Ask, where do I see myself in 6mons (12mons) and How is the best way to get there? What's working and what isn't? Do I need to make adjustments? What opportunities do I need to create? Answering these types of questions will help you get very specific about your choices and your plans.  

Work-life balance is not a destination. It is a dynamic state of awareness and choices. Try these simple tips to help move you toward the life you desire.

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