Work Life Balance – Top 10 benefits of running your own business

Work Life Balance - it’s what many of us strive to achieve but not many of us actually get. We may think we have it because we work part time (school hours) and close to home, but seriously, do you really have it?

I honestly thought I did a couple of years ago. I had been in the corporate rat race for around 14 years. 
Working was living; living was working. 
You get up, go to work put in your eight hours plus the rest, go home, cook dinner, go to bed, get up and do it all again. And that was before I had kids. 
Add children into the mix and you’ve had a full day before you even get to work, and it certainly doesn’t stop when you get home! Working Mum’s will know exactly what I mean.

"You get up, go to work put in your eight hours plus the rest, go home, cook dinner, go to bed, get up and do it all again."

After my second child I cut down to four days a week so I could have some extra time with my baby. However that ‘day off’ was spent running around, grocery shopping, washing, cleaning and even working. So much for spending quality time with my baby who was growing up so quickly.

In 2013 I decided to start my own business, ‘Out of the Box Consulting’ in the hope that perhaps I could have some real work life balance. However at the time I was still working in corporate. I managed to cut down my four days to three days, school hours and worked on the business on the other two days, after work and on weekends. I still didn’t have the work life balance thing sorted out though, but I was a step closer to where I wanted to be.

Ten months ago the opportunity arose allowing me to work in my business full time, and to be honest I haven’t looked back. 

Here are my Top 10 benefits of running my own business and having work life balance:

1. I get to take the children to school and pick them up without being in too much of a rush to get into or out of the office. 
   
2. I have more time to exercise and look after my health and fitness. 
   
3. I can work anywhere, anytime, as long as I have my phone and my laptop I can, and often do, work from cafes or even in the carpark waiting to pick the kids up from school.
4. I have reduced my stress immensely and the only pressure is the pressure I put on myself. 
5. I feel appreciated, as my clients are always thankful and respectful.
6. I no longer have to juggle school holidays or curriculum days, or pay for after school care.
7. I get to spend more time with my family and take the kids to after school sports on school days and not just on the weekend.
8. I am my own boss and create my own deadlines.
   
9. I don’t have to get dressed up for work, I can work in my slippers if I want to, no more high heals (except for meetings)!
   
10. Did I mention no pressure and no boss! That is seriously the best!
    

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