Achieve Balance in Network Marketing or Direct Sales and your Family
Think about this for a moment — what are the two most important things for your future and its successes? We imagine there could be a variety of answers here, but consider this. The two most important things for your future success and happiness are your family(and friends) and your business! Without both of these things, you will be unlikely to achieve great financial success, and if you do you wouldn’t have anyone to share it with. The key however is learning the skills required to balance your family and your business.
Most people who start a home based business already have a full schedule
With a family, and a full time job it can be frustrating to feel like you are not doing enough for your business. Guilt can set in because your children and/or your spouse just aren’t getting the quality time they want (or need) from you.
Feeling overwhelmed, busy, and unorganized is a normal part of starting a network marketing or direct sales business. You need to remember you are not going to know everything in the beginning.
As you learn and as you grow the need for balance will become clearer and clearer to you.
When you think about balance, you might think about trying to keep everything equal. And, that’s good, but try to think of this instead. Balance is a process. Things don’t fall into balance and then just stay that way.
It’s something you have to work at and be willing to make adjustments too.
So, what we are not going to tell you is how to create balance and then give you the idea that once you’ve done that you can forget about it. Instead, what we are going to tell you is how to create balance between your family and business. Following that, we will show you how to continually keep that balance maintained.
Knowing that some days — that balance, will feel lost.
Are you a Parent Trying to Balance a Home Based Business and a Family?
It is a familiar battle most entrepreneurs face — how do you balance time between your business and your personal life? When your business is growing, it is an exciting time for sure. While it can be tempting to throw yourself into your business and participate in all aspects of its growth, what do you do when your family is growing just as fast as your business?
This profession provides the best opportunity for parents to make great money, do work that is fun and fulfilling, and still have quality time for family. When we learned to build our business using social media we started finding we had more time to enjoy taking our girls to gymnastics or lunch at Chipotle with our youngest. What we needed to get to that place though?
We Needed to Achieve Balance
Balance, needs focus.
- Establish your family goals (include time, priorities, the things that matter most to you)
- Establish your professional goals (rank advancements, desired income)
- Map out your income producing activities
When we talk about income producing activities, this is often overlooked by network marketing professionals. Sure, social media is great to build your business — you can do so from your phone. However, scrolling your Facebook timeline for example will not earn you income.
What will earn you an income is when you are intentional with your social media activities. Use the time you spend on social media for ways that will advance you in your business. Connecting with new prospects, building relationships, creating content to share, making a Facebook Live video, and more.
We say this as a family of 6 (our newest was born only days ago!), so please know we are coming from a place of ‘we get it!’
Speak with your Family About Boundaries and Expectations
Be open with your spouse and your children about your passion for your business. Include them as much as they would like — but more importantly, speak with them. They may not want to be involved but you do want their support.
We were fortunate to build our business together. But, we recognize this isn’t always an option for everyone and shouldn’t have to be. What does matter though is achieving and maintaining the necessary balance so that family and business have their own space in your life.
Achieving a true balance in a 50/50 sense will likely drive you crazy.
There will be days when your business will require more time and attention. On the other hand, there will be days when your personal life requires more time and attention. Try not to think of splitting your attention between the two evenly, but giving your attention to each as it is needed.
For example, when you are first starting out and trying to build your business from the beginning, chances are that you will be spending a lot more time on business related activities. Your family or personal life may be neglected as a result.
During this time, try to remember that your business won’t always demand this much attention.
Also, for your own sanity you will need to take a step back at some point and recharge. These however, are they very reasons that we encourage you to speak with your family and friends. Not to try and recruit them into your business, but that you might require a little leeway in the beginning.
Achieving Balance will get Easier
Make sure you are taking care of you. We mention this because it can become common that you choose to work when others are sleeping. Or, late into the night to allot ‘enough time’ on your business.
You will work better and more effectively if you are healthy.
A large of part of your personal health is eating right and keeping active. If you already have an established routine of gym time or a personal trainer, keep that routine. If eating dinner around table with your family is what meals look like in your home — don’t change that.
It’s possible you may need to scale it back a bit due to demands on your time, but try as hard as you can to keep this time set aside for yourself. You want to make sure that the time you have with your family outside of your business is that of quality.
You are no good to them, or yourself if you are spreading yourself too thin.
Suggested Reading to help you Develop Healthy Routines
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