Achieving work-life balance is easier with help from others. Working from home is a lot easier when you’ve got a team to help out. It helps keep the work-life balance a little less about work, and a little more about life….SOMETIMES. It’s not always possible to have the perfect balance.
Achieving work-life balance is easier with help from others
Asking for, and receiving help, from others, gives those of us working from home, a shot in hell at balance.
Working from home isn’t all it’s cracked up to be
Working from home. Often people think of it of as the “easier” work situation. I often hear “you get to work when you want to,” “there’s more flexibility,” and, “you can do stuff around the house while you’re home.” All I do is smile, and think “are you out of your mind?” I’m not explaining how working from home, as someone who works for HERSELF, isn’t all people think it is.
Granted, I’m available for school events for the kids. Plus, when needed, I help with my mother, without asking any boss for a day off. However, I choose when I work. So, the flexibility everyone loves to tell me I’m lucky to have, really means I’m up at all hours of the night WORKING, while all those people loving my flexible work schedule, are sleeping.
I don’t do things around the house during the official work day, which is when the kids are at school. Six hours of uninterrupted work time, which is less than if I was in an office. There’s no down time to “do things around the house.” Just like all of the people who work outside the home, I do laundry, housework, after the work day is over, and on weekends.
Let me be clear, my work is never done, because I work from HOME. There’s no “off” switch for me. I’m always on-the-job. However, housework stuff is done during hours I’m “off the clock.”
Achieving work-life balance
What makes achieving work-life balance easier? Having a little help from others. Help from family members, friends, Mr. Sunflower, and amazing services I’ve grown to rely on a great deal. Working for myself is not an easy thing, because if I don’t hustle, I’m not bringing in money. There’s no paycheck for me if I’m not feeling well, and take a day off to be sick. I don’t have “personal days,” or “vacation time.” If I’m not working, I’m not making money. It’s that simple.
The help, wherever I get it from, is my only way to have a shot at achieving work-life balance. I’ve learned to embrace the help. Are you thinking about working for yourself, from home? Look for help in these areas, if you can!
Who’s there to help?
Delivery Services
My UPS, and FedEx drivers, are my heroes. Almost every day, they bring me packages I’ve ordered filled with office supplies, clothing for the kids, new batteries for our home security cameras, food with little recipes in a convenient box, and so much more. Basically, anything most people “run to the store” for, I make sure I can order it online, and have it delivered by UPS, or FedEx. It saves me time, and energy.
Embrace ordering things on the internet, and get to know your UPS, FedEx, and even your postman, or in my case, post woman.
FiOS
FiOS provides more than just my internet, phone, and television, services. It also allows me a bit more freedom when it comes to my home office. When you’re lucky enough to have Verizon FiOS, you also have the chance to add a bit of tech support for $10/month. Tech support helps with tablet support, connecting things that you have problems connecting, computer tune-ups and virus removal. It’s just a saving grace, when you’ve got a million things piled up on your desk, and you need an assist!
Friends
Friends. I keep my circle tight. Super tight. As a matter fact, most of my closest friends live in other states, or quite a few hours drive away. Once the kids started school, I made a couple of solid friends with the mothers of my children’s friends. I’ve got a couple I trust my kids with, so if I happen to have to travel for work, these friends are there to pick up the slack.
Friends are one of the major reasons I even have a chance at a work-life balance. It’s insane to juggle my schedule, along with my children’s schedules. Friends make it possible for me to breathe a bit, and know my kids are well taken care of, while I’m traveling for business. You want to work for yourself, from home? Make solid friends, friends you’ll be able to trust with your kids.
Family/Husband/Wife/Significant Other
Since mom had her heart attack, and stroke, it’s been a bit harder for me to travel into New York City. She used to be able to pick the kids up right after school, and then pick me up from the train station when my train rolled in. I relied on her help often, and the kids loved spending time with her, and my father. One day I hope she’ll be able to have that kind of freedom again, to drive, and spend that one-on-one time with the kids. Until then, my friends and Mr. Sunflower have taken on a lot of the responsibilities off my hands when an event is a MUST for me to attend.
Longer media trips, those are the most difficult ones. I’ve learned to ask for help from my brother, and on occasion, my sister. As the kids get a little older, and don’t require as much supervision (or diapers changed, etc.) it’s a little easier to hand the kids off to my siblings. I know they aren’t being totally put out, and often, my kids are a welcome breath of fresh air in their homes. I’ve got great kids, if I do say so myself.
Mr. Sunflower was even able to attend one media trip with me, because the kids were looked after by my brother and his family. It served as the first trip away since our daughter was born ten years ago…..
When you’re thinking about working for yourself, from home, you’ve got to start asking EVERYONE for help, so you can get a little of that LIFE part of work-life balance, into the equation. Especially if you can do a weekend away with your partner in life!
One of the hardest parts about achieving work-life balance, is we never believe we deserve to enjoy what we have worked so hard to achieve. People often tell us that they wish they were “as lucky” as we are to have a great career, and a family. What is this nagging feeling? It’s called imposter syndrome and many of us need some help overcoming this negative mindset.
Pick up a copy of Overcome Imposter Syndrome today! Change your mindset and enjoy all you deserve.
