5 Ways to Help Find Time for You, When You Are the Boss  

Project-management systems maker Workfront asked working women to identify the biggest obstacle in obtaining the perfect work/life balance. The leading answer from all respondents was “bad bosses.” A bad boss can certainly make life difficult for working women, especially if the chief is particularly demanding, lacking in empathy, or has no interest in the long-term happiness of his or her employees.

But what happens if you are the boss, the CEO, or the captain of your own company? You are constantly juggling the needs, wants, expectations, and demands of staff, clients, colleagues, a board of directors, and any number of other people jockeying for your undivided attention. And, on the personal side, you may also be taking care of children, spouses, partners, or other family members. But what about taking care of yourself? Here are five ways to ensure you can find the time you need to enjoy your life while achieving your professional goals.

Prioritize the Demands in Your Life
If you are the boss, you’ve no doubt put business success high on your list of priorities. You’ve worked hard for your position, and you should reap the benefits of your efforts. However, that doesn’t mean that your priority list cannot be edited and rearranged from time to time. Reaching the top might have topped your list in your 20’s, 30’s, or 40’s, but things change. If you have a family, a child, or a significant other, you will no doubt feel the demands that these intimate relationships make on your time. There will inevitably come a time when you will need to reprioritize your focus. Make a list of what is most important to you at that time, and begin allocating your efforts and energy wisely to ensure the most important things don’t get left behind.

Hire Power
As the owner and president of a successful company, I directly attribute our accomplishments to one thing: the hard work, passion, and creativity of every one of my employees. I have carefully built a core group of trusted women (and men!) who have proven their loyalty and dedication; therefore, I can often step back, get out of their way, and watch great things happen. When you hire great employees, you can delegate responsibilities, end the micromanaging, and find the work/life balance that can make you successful both professionally and personally.

Flex Time
We all need flexibility in our schedules or work location from time to time. As technology continues to impact how, where and when we work, flex time and working remotely can be potential solutions to work/life balancing acts. If you occasionally need to work from home, it’s okay. You don’t have to be in the office full time to be an effective leader. Remember, you are just a text, Skype session, or phone call away.

Unplug to Reconnect
Even if you are out of the office on personal time or vacation, you may feel the temptation to stay connected to your employees on a full-time basis. When you’re constantly connected via instant messages, emails and phone calls, you cannot be successfully engaged with your friends and family or focus on your personal interests. When you are on personal time, it’s advisable to alert employees to contact you only in an emergency. Or, consider setting aside part of your day to check in with the office and catch up on emails. It’s really a matter of setting boundaries (and rearranging your priorities) to ensure that downtime is your time.

Meditate/Exercise/Diet
It may seem obvious, but you cannot function as a successful leader without being in shape and in charge of your body, mind and soul. Neglecting nutrition, exercise and sleep—as well as the things that bring you joy—can take down the mightiest of CEOs. Make sure you are not a casualty of your own hard work. Be mindful of what your body and soul are lacking, and take the time you need to hit the reset button.

It’s difficult to find the perfect work/life balance, and that balance will often vary from time to time, even from day to day. So, be aware of what demands need immediate attention, but also allow yourself the time to do the things that energize, refresh and reconnect you to you–read a book, or take an extra hour to catch up with an old friend at lunch, for example. Making sure you luxuriate in these activities will help you deal with the demands on both sides of your life.