This Is the Secret to Actually Find Work Life Balance (From an Entrepreneur Who Finally Found It)

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Look, I don’t have a pretty, put-together formula for you to create work life balance. (Okay, okay, just kidding I do – keeping reading.)

But I also have an important life-changing secret to share with you.

A secret I discovered during the most exhausting, frazzled, stressed-out season of my life. A secret that transformed my 12-hour work days into shorter six-hour days. A secret that gave me my freedom back. One that restored my outlook on life to a more positive, clear, and hopeful state.

In sharing it with you, I hope you too will be freed from the chains you didn’t even know were entrapping you. And my guess is, you may already know the secret too.

Here Are 4 Steps to Help You Maintain a Healthy Work Life Balance:

1. Identify Key Areas That Are Sucking Up Your Energy

Take the time, right now to write out three things that are draining you. Be specific!

Instead of saying “Work drains me,” say something specific like “When I start work at 5am and work until 5pm, my body feels lethargic. I want to take a nap during the day. Coffee doesn’t help. I have stress headaches at least two times a week.”

When you pay attention to how you feel right now, that’s where power lies. Don’t pay attention to the promises you’re telling yourself. Like if you work just x more hours, you’ll be happy. This applies to your personal life too! Like if you stick it out until Valentine’s Day, maybe he’ll propose by then.

Life is too short to depend on the what-ifs of the future. The question is: Are you happy now?

2. Get Real With Yourself

After you’ve written out three areas where you feel drained, now is the time to get real with yourself.

Ask yourself if you can honestly keep living the way you have been if nothing changes. Ask yourself if you feel fulfilled right now. And ask yourself if you are proud of the person you are.

If you answered no to any of these, it’s time to make a shift.

3. Start Exercising Power by Making Small Changes

Starting today, starting right now, make a commitment to yourself to make small changes.

If you’ve been working 12-hour days, for this week only, start working 11-hour days. And during that one hour you normally would be working, do something that feels good.

Whether that’s going for a walk, eating something healthy, stretching, going to the gym (just to enjoy the sauna and not actually work out!), calling a friend, journaling, or cuddling up with a cup of tea on your couch . . . just do it!

4. Don’t Hate, Just Delegate

If you’re an entrepreneur (or in your role as a wife, mom, employee), you may be familiar with the term control freak. A control freak is someone who doesn’t trust other people to carry out a task as well as them.

Does this day sound familiar to you?: You wake up early and immediately jump into the tasks of your day. Your head is down, you’re plowing through. Before you know it, it’s 6pm and you haven’t even stopped for a moment to catch your breath.

The key is to have grace with yourself.

You’ve accomplished SO much today, you can barely believe it. There’s even a sense of pride in being that busy. But you’re really tired, and feel totally tapped out. Although your accomplishments may feel meaningful and productive temporarily, in the long-term you will experience major burn out!

If you admit to being a control freak, you know all too well what it’s like to tackle all your to-dos completely solo instead of asking for help. In order to give yourself time and freedom, you have to first admit you have a problem. And then, you need to delegate tasks.

The key is to have grace with yourself. Realize that change won’t happen overnight. So, give yourself the time to transition.

And for those tasks that you can’t delegate, use these 10 Productivity Hacks to Maximize Your Time at Work

Finally, Don’t Forget About the Secret to Work Life Balance

Don’t think I forgot! The secret is simple: YOU have more power than you think, feel capable of, and are currently embracing.

That’s it. That’s how you create work life balance! Nothing that a fortune cookie couldn’t tell you. However, the practice of putting this secret into motion is what changed my life. And it can do the same for you.

Practicing your power is what will create that (much needed) shift in your life. Start small. Little ripples will turn into big waves. Soon you will break free from the invisible chains you never knew were there.

And the result? A richer, more centered, calm, balanced, and satisfying life.