Finding Balance

Nailing down the work life balance.

When you start a business, there’s this fantasy that you can have it all – successful business, endless time with thriving family life, personal growth on lock. You know, you’ve heard it.

What you don’t expect is that the journey of entrepreneurship often pulls you into the deepest corners of self-doubt, stress, and a complete Mind-F@#k between work and personal life. It can get messy, real messy.

After shaving my head and waking up from that fog of self-doubt, I began to look at my life and realized I wasn’t just battling to make my business work. I was also juggling the responsibilities of family and trying to figure out who the hell I was outside of work.

Starting a business doesn’t hit pause on your life; in fact, it throws everything into overdrive. The chaos of running a business bleeds into your family life, and if you’re not careful, you’ll soon be failing at everything.

The Challenge of Time Management

The thing no one tells you about entrepreneurship is how much it consumes you—physically, mentally, emotionally. Hell you’ll either gain or lose 20 pounds your first year, you can almost count on that and it will happen without you knowing it’s taking place.

I tried balancing work and family life by putting everything into tight schedules. I’d work from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., then be “present” (yeah right) with the family from 6:30 p.m. until the kids went to bed.

But you know how that goes—my mind never punched the clock. Even when I was with my family, I wasn’t fully there.

I was always thinking about that email I didn’t send, that customer I needed to follow up with, or the one problem I hadn’t figured out yet.

It wasn’t long before I realized that time management wasn’t about schedules; it was about priorities. You can’t just clock in and out of family life. I had to start being more intentional.

When I was with my family, I made the decision to actually be there—phone off, laptop closed, and fully engaged. The work could wait; my family couldn’t.

The Sacrifices Along the Way

Of course, with every entrepreneurial journey comes sacrifices. There were times I missed important family events. I said “no” to summer outings, choosing instead to work through challenges. It’s a weird feeling when your passion for business starts competing with your role as a husband or father. You start wondering, “Am I doing this for them? Or am I doing this for me?”

I used to tell myself that my absent mindedness was temporary, that we’ll be doing all kinds of trips once the business took off. But we all know that’s a crock of shit. There’s always one more thing to do, one more crisis to fix. And before you know it, months/years have passed, and you realize you haven’t taken the time to watch your kids grow up or connect with your spouse.

One of the biggest sacrifices was my personal time. Personal growth often took a backseat. Sure, I read business books and studied growth strategies, but I didn’t take the time to work on myself beyond the business. It wasn’t until I hit that wall—after isolating myself, questioning everything, and getting my head shaved—that I realized personal growth is just as important as growing your company. You can’t pour from an empty cup. I’ve tried, believe me.

In fact to this day, scheduled on my calendar at 3pm, are these 5 rules:

1. Breathe Deeply
2. Non-Judgmental Awareness
3. Engage Your Senses
4. Mindful Walking
5. Digital Detox Breaks

It helps.

Staying Connected with Loved Ones

After that year of self-doubt and isolation, I made a conscious effort to reconnect with my family. One of the best decisions I made was to involve them in my journey. I started sharing the ups and downs of the business with my wife and kids, letting them see the real struggle behind what I was doing. It wasn’t just about venting; it was about letting them understand why I was working so hard. And Yes, before you ask it was all scheduled.

We’d have family dinners where I’d talk about the best/worse parts of each day, and in return, I’d try to get it back so I can have a small glimpse into what I missed. It helped them feel like they were part of the business building journey, not just spectators.

But beyond just time, it was about being emotionally present. When I stopped thinking about work all the time and started being in the moment with my family, everything improved. It wasn’t easy—it was a constant battle, still is, but it’s one worth fighting.

What I Learned About Balance

Balance isn’t something you achieve once and then maintain forever. It’s a daily adjustment.

There will be days when your business needs more attention, and days when your family does. The key is to be flexible and forgiving with yourself.

Looking back, I realize the greatest lesson I took away from that period of my life is that there’s no such thing as perfect balance.

It’s about setting boundaries, prioritizing what truly matters, and recognizing when you need to shift gears. I learned that family is the foundation that keeps you grounded when everything else feels like it’s falling apart.

Personal growth, on the other hand, is what fuels you to keep going, to keep pushing forward. Without those two elements your pretty much screwed as there really is no point anymore.

What You Can’t See.

Starting a business is like jumping into the ocean without a life vest. You can’t see the shore, and you have no idea how long you’ll need to tread water before you make it.

Balancing that with family life and personal growth?

That’s like trying to make it to shore while juggling at the same time. Eventually, you learn when to toss something in the air, when to hold on tight, and when to just let the small things drop into the damn ocean.

It’s okay to stumble. It’s okay to feel like you’re failing at times. What’s important is that you keep adjusting, keep learning, and remember why you started in the first place.

For me, it was all about proving to myself that I could do it—while staying connected with the people who matter most.

At the end of the day, it’s not just about building a successful business. It’s about building a life that feels whole, even when everything else feels like it’s spinning out of control.