20 tips for maintaining a healthy work/life balance – Page 2 of 3 – StartupSmart

7. Manage your time, long term

 

Create a timeline of your activities. Specific computer programs can help with this, or you can customise your own Excel spreadsheet or Word table.

 

Put dates across the top and activities down the side. Break each task into components.

 

Include family commitments – such as holidays, birthday parties, etc. – so you don’t forget that you are unavailable for work on those days.

 

8. Make your workspace work for you

 

Working for yourself does tend to require long hours and not much downtime, so invest in equipment that will support you.

 

That includes getting a comfortable chair, an ergonomic keyboard, a support stand for your laptop, etc. An ergonomic assessment of your workspace is worth every cent.

 

9. Tap into technology

 

Instead of driving to a meeting, use Skype or conferencing technologies like GoToMeeting. But remember to switch them off.

 

10. Make exercise a must-do, not a should-do

 

It’s easy to cancel the gym, the evening run or the yoga class because a client wants something done yesterday.

 

Instead, ensure exercise is given as much priority as your clients and making money. A healthy body means a fresh mind, which means you will function better and complete tasks in less time.

 

11. Take time to make time

 

Invest in time-tracking tools. There are plenty of tools you can use to track everything from the frequency and duration of meetings, to chasing and converting leads.

 

Time-tracking software allows you to quickly build an understanding of how long a particular task takes. That way, you can effectively estimate how long your next work task will take.

 

12. Know and nurture your network

 

Prioritise growing your network and have a structured lead/conversion system in place so you can track the time/cost involved to grow your network.

 

Set the benchmarks early on and learn the lessons early.