Balance

One of the toughest things about being an entrepreneur is separating those long hours from the other things that are important to you in life, and trying to make sure that those don't suffer too much at the expense of your business. I'd have to say, with all of the challenges I've faced, the one that will probably always be the toughest for me is keeping a work/life balance.

Last night I faced an interesting choice. My aunt was having a birthday party for my little cousin and my entire family was going. Now, I saw my family a few weeks back and will probably see them a few weeks from now. I love spending time with them, but most of the time we end up talking a lot about my business, mostly because they are interested and want to see me succeed. I appreciate the attention but sometimes it's just too much.

I had a great (but very long) work week this week and I just wanted to grab a beer and relax. So I did just that. Instead of going to the party, I went down to the beverage center and picked up a case of Red Stripe (my favorite beer) and drank a few beers out on the back porch. No computer, no work, no people. Just me relaxing with a few beers, and that was exactly what I needed to recharge my batteries and get my focus back.

We all need that balance. For some it's going out and partying (work hard - play hard right?), for others it's spending time with friends and family, and for some it's spending time with their favorite hobbies. In my case, it's usually a combination of those things, but sometimes it's an often overlooked form of relaxation - doing absolutely nothing.

Have a safe and fun Memorial Day everyone!