Working as a self-employed person is never easy, even if you are single. Making time for yourself is hard, especially when it comes to work-life balance. When first starting out in your career you likely do not know how to say “no” to new projects. You likely worry about paying the bills and whether or not clients will stick around for the long run.
Balancing your personal and family life with work is a daunting task at any stage of your self-employed career. One of the most important things you can do is learn how to say no. It is a word that many people have probably had an easy time telling you, but until you can utter this short phrase, you truly won’t have a great work-life balance.
Work-Life Balance: Set Limits for Your Work Schedule
One of the most important things you can do to balance your work and life is to set limits for your schedule. I will admit, when I first started out as a freelance writer 15 years ago I didn’t know how to do this. I worked constantly. There are times to this day where I have to force myself to take a step back.
I worked late into the night. Weekends also included random times where I pounded away at the keyboard. It almost felt like I had to work whenever possible because I did not have a commute or a boss looking over my shoulder.
Once I finally learned how to say no to clients I was able to start moving my schedule in the right direction. I was always worried that turning down rush projects or additional pieces on a current content order would lead to the client walking away from me.
I quickly discovered that saying no to a client was not the end of the world. In fact, it showed them I had a backbone and was capable of valuing my personal life over work. Because I worked as hard as I did and provided strongly written content, the clients were willing to wait for their content. Now, I don’t skip assigned deadlines. Instead, I openly communicate with clients as to what they can expect when it comes to turnaround time.
Do Not Value Work Over Family
When I first started working as a freelance writer I valued work over anything else all the time. I missed out on a lot of family events, time out with friends, and overall downtime that could have led to better mental and physical health.
Missing out on soccer practices when the boys were young or some events at school in years past took a toll on me. I felt guilty a lot. However, it was always, “No, I have to work.”
Once I finally built a good work-life balance I began to enjoy life much more. Now, I take the boys to almost every practice or game on their schedule, to doctor’s appointments, and we do a lot more as a family on weekends.
No More Work Weekends
Work weekends, for the most part, are a thing of the past for me. Even though my clientbase is much stronger than it was just three years ago, I make it a point to avoid working on weekends. There might be an hour or two here or there early in the morning or late at night. But, other than that, there are no more extended work weekends.
The Benefits of a Strong Work-Life Balance
There are plenty of benefits of having a strong work-life balance, including the following:
- Better physical and mental health
- You are able to be more present in the moment
- You can experience less stress related to your job
- You will become a well-rounded person
- Your productivity will increase
- You will be more engaged when working
Have you struggled with balancing your work and personal life? What has worked for you when it comes to balancing your work and family life. Let’s discuss it in the comments section.
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