Finding Balance | work, life + everything in between

It’s 2am and I wake up in a daze with a bladder full of the water bottle I chugged before closing my eyes for the night. I pick up my phone to check the time - the screen lighting up with the motion - and I see it….an inquiry.

This is where my biggest mistake and maybe even biggest success comes into play; my workaholic tendency and overwhelming need to do every little thing to the best of my ability. I’m half asleep - just a moment ago I was deep in a dream about sailing a yacht with Leonardo DiCaprio. I should put the phone down, use the bathroom, and worry about business during work hours. But here’s the thing…I’m an entrepreneur, and when it comes down to it, I have no ‘work hours’; I’m working 24/7.

I’m awake faster than if the fire alarms started blaring. I read the email once, then I read the email twice. I take note of every detail mentioned and every question asked. I compose the perfect response, the email of all emails - I even apologize for the delayed response (such a people pleaser), and I turn on Hulu and watch a sitcom I’ve seen a hundred times because I’m awake now, and I need to be on alert in case my potential client is up late on their own Hulu binge.

Guess what friends? This isn’t healthy, and I’m here to tell you why.

While my immediate responses and overzealous attitude usually win over the hearts of clients, and is overall appreciated, this isn’t what is best for me, and it isn’t what is best for my clients.

1. When I surrender every moment of my life to my business, I am establishing the concept that I am prepared to work all hours of the day and night. The first few fast responses will impress a client, but after that concept has been established, the quick contact is expected. The reason this isn’t good? When you’re out to dinner with friends or in bed with a killer cold and need some time to yourself, your client will think ‘why aren’t they answering me?!’ - maybe they’ll get a little worried, maybe anxious, maybe even angry. It’s not their fault - you’ve basically told them there are no boundaries. They’ll think of you as a Walmart customer service line…but even those have hours.

2. When you are giving your client the option to communicate at any and all hours, you’re giving them the option to lose sleep too! If they know you’ll email back at 2am, then they’ll look at 2am as a time to get some work of their own done. Whether you’re a photographer and your bride is up late stressing over wedding planning, a web designer whose client feels like they need to dive into their own business during every waking moment, or a hairstylist whose client might convince themselves you hate them if you actually take a few minutes to respond for once - your quick-to-answer attitude might not always be the best thing for your clients either. If you set solid business hours, they won’t get that anxious waiting-for-a-response feeling, and they won’t feel rushed to send an email tonight, if they know you won’t be back at it until tomorrow. When you relax, everyone gets to relax.

3. It doesn’t take an entrepreneur much to feel a little down on themselves - the second we feel even minorly inadequate, we question this whole business-owning thing. There have been times I was sitting in the movie theatre, enjoying a film I’ve been anticipating for months, and the iPhone screen lights up with GMAIL. As a wedding photography, I convince myself that if I don’t answer within 5 minutes, another photographer will, and there goes my chance. But that’s not true, right? So sometimes I leave the theatre, hoping not to miss a major scene, just so I can be the first to answer. Sometimes, I remind myself movie tickets these days are like a thousand dollars a pop, so I keep my booty seated and watch Jennifer Lawrence slay the game - but then I think about how I should have put my business first. If you’re not following me here - setting yourself actual work hours takes away those pressures and feelings of inadequacies, and gives you back time for just yourself! You need to feel good to run your business!

So here are ways you can allow yourself a little freedom:

1. Add your work hours to your emails….yes, every one. You know the bottom of your emails where you say your name and website? Maybe even your social media links and phone number too? Tack on your business hours as well. Establish those work hours right from the start, and leave that subtle reminder in every exchange.

2. If you can’t handle the idea of not giving an immediate response - set an away message. Write up an automated response thanking them for their email, saying how excited you are to officially speak, and letting them know your work hours. Include that you’ll be in touch with them shortly during work hours!

3. If you’ve got nothing else on your plate, answer! If it’s 7pm and you rewatching some RHONJ and scrolling down Instagram, and see a notification pop up, by all means, answer! Just don’t make a habit of it. Still include those work hours in the tagline of your message, and they will see and appreciate that you are getting back to them on your personal time…but they won’t always expect it!

So there you have it friends - all of us business owners feel the need to workworkwork, but just remind yourself that taking some time, and taking your time, is always for the best result!