Is your business interfering with your life?

I have this great 'meditation chair' in the corner of my office that I sink into every morning. The time and the experience are really important to me. It's something that I've chosen to make a priority in my life, and I believe it helps my business, too. (  Pamela Bruner  )

What's important to you in your life? Do you feel like your priorities are being honored? 

Or do you feel like you can't have the life you want and still build the business you want? 

One of the challenges that comes in when we try to squeeze too many things into a tiny little 24-hour day is that we feel short-changed, cheated, or helpless. There's always more that we want to do than we seem to have time for, and it can make us, well… cranky. 

So here's an opportunity for you over the long weekend to do some creative rearranging of your activities, with the goal that you'll either 1) include a few things that are really important to you that you haven't been doing, or 2) feel more grounded about the choices that you've been making up to this point, or 3) some of both! 

First, make a list. Include the things that you do on a regular basis, including work, fixing meals, taking care of kids, and any activities that are already part of your routine. Now add to the list those things that you've been eager to do - like start a meditation practice, begin journaling, have time to just THINK in your business, exercise… you get the idea. 

As you look at the list, ask yourself this question: 
Is this 'have to' (necessary), would it be 'want to' (nice), or is it 'why am I doing this'? 

Look closely at the things that you think are 'have to'. Chances are, you've got a few things on that list that could move off that list. These are things you may think are necessary because you've been doing them for some time, but the truth is that you don't want to do them anyway, and the world won't end if you get rid of them. 

So ask yourself, with regard to the 'have to' things, if there is anything that someone else could do for you? This might require paying someone, or it might just require asking someone to help you out. And it's OK to do that. 

Now let's look at the 'want to' list. What's one thing you could start doing from that list that you're not currently doing? (Hint: This shouldn't be a 'want to' like 'I want to get this awful task done so it's not on my to-do list anymore!' This should be a 'want-to' like 'I so want to start doing yoga three times a week.') 

If you look at your list and feel like nothing can change, you have a great opportunity. That is an indication that there is a part of you that feels trapped, and that feeling, that energy, will hurt both you and your business. Just the awareness of that feeling can lead to opportunities to shift it. 

Running your business is important. Organizing your business and life to work together so you enjoy both is essential.