As an entrepreneur, success is key but while thriving for success, I have observed that a lot of people forget why they started in the first place, they lose themselves to their work and they become so submerged in work that every other thing seems trivial and a waste of time. A good number of times, a lot of successful people become loners in the course of their life, they have neglected other parts of their life so much so that they have no one to share their
success with, after thriving with all their might to the top, over time they realize that things are not always as they seem and the top is lonelier than they could ever fathom. However, for some people, it is not always like this, they do not get lonely because they have a lot of people to share their success with. In my own opinion, I feel that people who find the top lonely and always say ‘it wasn’t worth it’ are people who neglected a key part of their lives- personal relationships. Humans have been programmed in such a way that we cannot survive without personal relationships (family, friends, significant others and so on). In this article, I would list tips on how to balance work and relationships and more focus would be placed on personal relationships with significant others:
Planning/time management: Everyone has exactly 24hrs every day, you have no excuse if you do not make optimal use of your time. If you want to be able to balance both work and your personal relationship, then you have to plan your time. Someone once said, “if you fail to plan then you plan to fail”. Every day, plan your time, give breaks in between and create ample time away from work to spend with your partner. Always ensure that you keep to time, don’t get used to saying ‘I’m sorry’, ‘next time’, ‘will make it up to you’ and stuff like that, no one wants to hear that.
Keep things simple with boundaries: what I mean is, if it is work time, then work with all the energy and time you have got, you shouldn’t let your personal affairs eat into work time or you will have a lot of ‘carried-over work’. Same goes, when it is time to be with your partner, don’t let work eat into that time also, I recommend switching your phones off, your laptop too( if it’s used for your work), this can help curb your desire to work when you are with your partner.
Communication: For any relationship to work, communication is key, you should never fail to let your partner know just how important they are to you so that when unavoidable issues at work arise, your partner understands why you have to let up on your private time. Also, if you are away from your partner, calling frequently can show your thoughts towards them and make them not to feel neglected. Personal relationships cannot do without communication.
Go the extra mile: Doing special things for your partner and giving surprises here and there could go a long way in sharing your thoughts plus it could take you outof the ‘danger-zone’ if you have been skipping out on your time together, going the extra mile doesn’t mean you have to go to Mars and back, it just means you should whip up surprises here and there, you could buy gifts without any cause for it, you could cook for them, anything that you don’t ordinarily do but will make things a bit easier for them. Also, special days should be celebrated, days like valentine day, birthdays etc. even If you have issues with your partner, always use these days to make-up.
Take some time-off: If you wish to properly balance your work and your relationships, then it is imperative that you take some time-off and show your partner just how special they are to you, if your partner also works, you two can decide to take a day-off, pick a day that would be convenient for the both of you and have fun, if you are an old couple, it’s probably the best time to relive your teenage moments.
For other relationships like family relationships, they are probably always going to be there for you but you should never take that for granted. Always make time to visit your family, call them frequently, send them gifts and show them just how much they mean to you.
So there you have it, my personal recipe for balancing work and personal relationships, try them and you can’t go wrong with them. With everything you have going on, do not underestimate the power of relationships in your life, they can make you or break you, so keep that in mind when heading to the top. I advise, don’t go alone, make it special and go up there with the people closest to your heart. Keep in mind that success is sweetest when you have people to share it with!!!
