Work/life balance is one of those terms that totally gets under my skin. Work is a part of my life and life is a part of my work. They don’t balance each other out, more they exist in and of each other. The real challenge people are talking about with work/life balance though is using time efficiently.

As a mom of three who started a business her first year into motherhood, this has always been a hot button issue. When I first started my business, I worked during nap times and after bed as much as possible. When I needed to work outside of the home, one of the grandmas would come to help but both were working full time so my work hours were limited. Over the years I’ve developed several strategies that work for us. They all fall into three categories though!

1. Set boundaries. For yourself, for your clients, for your family. Here are some examples of what’s worked for me.
   • For myself- No deep work after school is out. I can answer an email or respond to a social media post. Anything that requires my full attention has to wait until the next business day or after bedtime at the very earliest. I rarely work in the evening anymore though! It’s just not a time when I can be at my best.
   • For my clients – I only take certain types of sessions at certain times or days of the week. I know when I am at my best and when my childcare is available so I set that boundary on my time.
   • For my family- If I’m at my desk, I’m off-limits unless there is a true emergency. I’m talking blood loss or fire here. My kids are old enough to fly solo for a few hours now but when they were smaller and dad was home, I closed the office door and pretended not to exist.

2. Automate and Systemize. When you have a system for every aspect of your business, you always know what comes next and can save a little brainpower and time getting things done. (This also makes it easier to hand off tasks, but more about that in a minute!) Automating steps along the way will also save you time. Automations like canned emails, social media scheduling, and sending contracts and questionnaires have been game changers for me.

3. Outsource. This is a big one. For me, it was easier to pay someone to do a task in my business than it was to pay a babysitter so that I could do the task. In a lot of cases, the person I’m hiring to do the task is much faster than I am at it and therefore I actually spend less NOT doing the task myself. I know. Mind-blowing. And here’s another one: you can outsource home tasks too!

I know it can be so hard to let go of control when it feels like everything is on your shoulders. It’s all about finding the parts of life and business where you are in your zone of genius and focusing there. We should never be afraid to ask for help! You can also consider trading for services if you are newer to business or just low on cashflow. Someone needs your knowledge and expertise as much as you need theirs!

I’ll be talking more about time management over in the free facebook community this week! We’d love for you to join us at Moms Building Businesses.