I have a confession to make: I have been working too much. And by "working too much" I mean, I'm spending more time at work than with my family or exercising or doing anything that might help me live a better life. In 2020, after my heart attack, I promised myself that if it ever got to the point where my work was killing me, then it would be time for drastic measures. Well here we are!
Then last weekend, I realized that I had broken this promise to myself. I spent most of Friday and Saturday hunched over my computer, creating collages for a sweet soccer team out of Georgia. When it came time to take Asher to his golf lesson, not only was I exhausted, I was completely overwhelmed.
By the work I had volunteered to do!
Of course, I wasn’t actually volunteering, I get paid pretty well for it. But at the end of the day, there is no amount of money that is worth missing another round of golf.
Now I don’t know about you, but that just doesn't seem right to me. If it takes making myself sick and exhausted for my boss to be happy with what I do at work (especially if my boss is ME!), then something is seriously wrong here!
That's why this week has been different. It hasn't always felt great (especially when Asher woke up at the crack of dawn Wednesday morning), but now instead of saying "yes" to things outside my priorities of my family, without thinking twice, I've said "no."
And so far it feels pretty good! And this time around, no matter how much work I "think" I have to do, if he asks if we can go golfing on Saturday, we're going.
So I’m putting my foot down, and starting a new tradition, effective today! No-work weekends. I’m taking a break. I will prioritize resting. I’m doing yoga. I will watch my son play golf.
And this time, I’m not breaking the promise to myself. Who’s with me?!
I love being an entrepreneur, but I’m tired of building “a life I love” at the expense of the life I currently have. The one I’m not actually living. It shouldn’t take another heart attack (or worse!) for me to get my priorities where I want them.
So what do you think? Are you team #noworkweekends or are you still struggling with the boundaries between entrepreneurship and living your life?
I have been having a lot of conversations with friends lately about the term work life balance and what it really means. I think we all know what “work” is, but to me, “life” seems like an abstract idea that can mean anything from your hobbies or interests outside of work…. Essentially it's going to be the things people talk about at our funerals.
I don't want it to be: I never saw her in her last years - she was always too busy working. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this idea. Do you think there is such a thing as work life balance, and what does it mean for you?
Shoot me an email or respond back in the comments section with your thoughts!
Good luck and happy marketing!
Crystal, The Pinterest Pundit
About the Author:
Crystal Waddell is a Pinterest expert and marketing strategist who helps creative entrepreneurs build profitable businesses. Crystal started her own company in 2013 and went full-time with it in 2021. Her mission is to help other online business owners grow their website traffic and revenue through Pinterest Marketing and strategic SEO. Each month Crystal hosts a hands-on workshop for business owners who want to learn to use Pinterest effectively for their businesses. For more tips on growing your business with Pinterest and SEO, check out www.pinshop.com or follow @pinshopify on instagram!