7 Tips for Maintaining a Balance Between Playing and Personality

One of the most important things you can do to succeed as an entrepreneur is to create an effective business-life balance. When I first started my business, I ate, slept, and breathed work. With my career as an athlete, I knew what hustle and hard work was. So, I set my mind and decided to create something successful and in turn, that idea took over my thoughts. It was all I thought about 24/7. At the same time, my health began to suffer from it. My relationships became strained. I was preoccupied and distracted. My productivity decreased. And around this time, I realized that I had earned an extra couple of grand, and now I was sure that I had to do something differently. You don’t have to go through the same journey and experience all of this on your own skin as I did. Take these tips into account when you are setting up your business structure. I have found that I am more effective and productive when I take extra time to dedicate to self-care and to maintaining a balance between business and life. You may have to adjust these tips a little and tailor them to your needs to find the right recipe, but here are some recommendations that have helped me. 1. Take care of your health. It is difficult to inspire and lead others when you are not healthy. No matter what type of business you are in - sales, manufacturing, services… But if you do not take care of your body, your business cannot be stable and respectable. Put self-care at the very top of your priority list. Exercise, exercise, eat right. 2. Meditate. Meditation has a huge impact. Since I started practicing meditation regularly, my anxiety has disappeared and my focus and productivity have improved. Plus it is very useful when you are managing a large number of people. Don't worry about whether you are doing it "correctly". There are many methods, so keep trying until you find one you really like. Meditation should be restorative and effective - some people just follow their breathing, while others use meditation. If your brain is very tense and anxious, I recommend starting with a guided track. 3. You must be clear about what you want to achieve. Most people fail to achieve what they want due to lack of clarity. They themselves do not know what they want. First, clearly define for yourself what you want to achieve. And then follow your dream. Maybe you are not yet sure of your choice. If so, I recommend writing down your idea of an ideal day. How do you want to feel at the end of each day? Remember, you don’t have to have the perfect start to your business, just follow the direction of your dream and take it one step at a time. 4. Be discerning. Know that some opportunities are just a distraction from your dream. There are too many good things to do these days. But focus on your mission and say no to everything else. 5. Stay positive. Replace negative self-talk with gratitude. This is a huge problem for most of us, but you have the ability to free yourself from the constant derailment of your goal. Start practicing gratitude every time you feel like criticizing yourself. We spend more time worrying or complaining about something instead of just focusing on solving the problem itself. 6. Rest and recharge. No matter how hard you try, you can break down the wall if you don’t think about your mind and body. If you want to succeed, you have to put yourself out there, make a name for yourself, network, and then move forward towards your goal. This is where a huge part of my own success lies. But just as important on your path is the opposite – rest. Rest means disconnecting from your work phone and social media for the weekend. Your body and soul need rest. Go outside, spend time in nature. Take a nap. Read a book. Just take a walk around the city. These moments of relaxation and rest are necessary for you to recharge yourself with the energy of nature and fresh air, and to stay focused when it is time to act, to work again. 7. Fulfil your life. It should also be noted that you absolutely need to spend time with family, friends, having fun and enjoying life. It is not good to be a lone wolf. Set your office hours and do your best to strictly adhere to this routine, starting and ending the working day at the same time. Play that guitar that's been collecting dust in your closet, or dig out that old tennis racket and challenge a friend to a game. Take a walk on the beach. Just remember that you're a person who lives, not just works. And the more balanced your business and life are, the more successful you'll be.