Guest blogger Aliyah Kristine Cole dives into the importance and how-to of
keeping your business and personal lives separate in this article!
In today’s digital world we are constantly connected to both our business and personal life through our smartphones, and it can be extremely hard to have a balanced lifestyle. And even for entrepreneurs who like to pour their heart and soul into their businesses, keeping their personal life separate should still be a priority.
Why keep them separate?
There are many reasons why you should keep your personal and work life separate.First of all, it’s important for your mental health. Not having a work-life balance can cause stress, which can lead to burnout, and even mental health disorders, which is sadly very common among entrepreneurs.
Secondly, separating your personal life from your business can also increase your efficiency and productivity at work. A balanced lifestyle gives you the opportunity to nurture all aspects of your life, in the process inspiring you, and having boundless benefits on your productivity.
Finally, it also affects how you operate your business and how you are perceived professionally. By separating things properly it shows that you take your business seriously, and it isn’t just a hobby. You need your clients to see you and your business as professional as possible. Setting boundaries between the two also lets you focus solely on your business when you’re working, and on your personal life when you’re off work.
How to keep them separate?
- Separate your time.
As an entrepreneur, you might be working very long hours everyday, and the time you allot for your business on a daily basis will vary depending on a host of factors. But to live a more balanced lifestyle, it’s important that you learn to monitor your work hours by dedicating specific hours to your business to give you ample time for your personal life. Do this by writing down what time you would like to disconnect from work and add it to your daily to-do list. Don’t start a new task an hour before this specified time, so you can stick to it, and make sure that you have enough time for your family and friends. Scheduling your work hours will help you stay focused on your daily tasks and do them with more efficiency. And with our personal coaching, setting and achieving your work goals is now easier than ever before.
- Separate time for yourself.
Regardless of the effort and commitment you’ve put into your business, it’s important to remember that your business isn’t you, and you are not your business. Your business should exist outside of yourself, and should serve you instead of consuming your life. As a busy entrepreneur, it’s crucial that you also have time for yourself to relax and recharge. From reading a book to taking long walks, there are many activities you can do to de-stress, that will not take too much of your time.
- Separate your assets.
For a lot of entrepreneurs, the simplest way to start a business is to have a sole proprietorship. But that means your business is not legally separate from you as the owner, and the proprietor’s personal and business expenses, earnings, and liabilities are intertwined. This is why many entrepreneurs decide to form a limited liability company, as it means that your company becomes a separate legal entity. An LLC protects you and your assets from any business liabilities, as it draws a clear line between you and your business in the eyes of the law. This also paves the way for your business to get its own tax number, credit card, bank account, and so on. And if you’ve been struggling with reaching your revenue goals, you may sign up with our 6-month accelerator program, to get extensive support from our experienced coaches.
- Separate your space.
As much as possible, never mix your work area with your living area. You might be tempted to open your work laptop from your bed the moment you wake up, but you should try your best to only conduct business in your office or at a dedicated work space in your house. By working in all areas of your house, you are subconsciously associating all spaces of your home with your business, making it harder to focus on personal time and space once you’re done with work for the day.
Written by Aliyah Kristine Cole
Exclusive for growdisrupt.com