I think back on my time working for someone else and almost have to laugh now. It seems so distant and far away that it isn't even real to me anymore! But I have to remind myself how I felt at the time...back when I had zero work life balance. The mornings were the worst. I had to leave earlier and earlier to get to work on time with all the traffic. Each morning an epic battle was waged just to get out of bed. On one side was my sense of obligation; on the other was the snooze button on my alarm clock. I remember absolutely HATING my alarm clock with a passion. I felt guilty every time I pushed that snooze button, like I was had just gone to a crack dealer. I could get one more hit, just 10 more minutes, and it would feel so great. But at the same time I knew I shouldn't! I'd run out of the house bleary eyed and half awake. Some days I'd even have enough time to grab a piece of burnt toast on my way out. All morning I'd sip on bad coffee to try and stay alert, but it would only make me jittery and remind me of how hungry I was (having missed breakfast!). Finally, when lunch would role around, I'd be famished and would run to the nearest food court to gorge myself. I certainly didn't eat the best food in those days. I'd eat junk food to feel better. It was like self-medication to make the day less stressful! After a big lunch of course, an afternoon nap would have been perfect. My eyelids felt like they weighed 100 lbs a piece some days! But I didn't dare rest my eyes for a moment, under constant fear that my boss would walk by and catch me! Finally the end of the day would arrive and I'd make my way toward home (even though I'd been at work far longer than 8 hours). I didn't have the energy to cook anything at home, so it was fast food again for dinner. I would collapse on the couch, and try to quiet my mind staring at the TV. Going to the gym was out of the question by that time, and the day would come to a close, doomed to repeat itself again! Luckily, this horror story is a thing of the past, because I made one change in my life which lead to a work life balance that I'd never dreamed of. Whenever people ask me about how to improve their work life balance, I tell them what worked for me: I started a business and became my own boss. That is the best way I know of to improve your work life balance. Let's fast forward to today: I don't have an alarm clock. I get plenty of sleep and wake up most days around 9:30 or 10 AM (while most employees have already been working for 2 hours!). I don't have any commute and I never sit in rush hour traffic. I run errands around town while everyone is at work which means I hardly ever wait in long lines. I exercise almost every day and have tons of energy (by the way, the gym is always empty when I go too and I get plenty of one-on-one time with trainers going at odd times). I take vacations and travel whenever I want. I take days off whenever I want. I can literally decide to pack up and go for a trip in an hour and I don't have to tell anyone. I literally have total freedom. It is such a liberating feeling that it's really hard to imagine what it feels like if you've worked a corporate job your whole life. If I'm out late having dinner with friends or watching a late night movie I never feel guilty staying up because I know I can adjust my schedule. As long as I get eight hours of sleep, it doesn't matter when I actually get those hours. I have plenty of things I need to get done for my businesses, but I get them done when I want to. And because I took the time to really start companies that I love working on, I am actually a work-a-holic. It just ended up that way because I literally love what I do! I even work weekends fairly often. Not because I have to, but because I want to (I know it sounds crazy). Sometimes I can't sleep at night because I am so excited about the next day. The best part is that I now earn more than I did at my old job and have total financial freedom. I'm not dependent on anyone and have zero debt. Bottom line: Deciding to become self employed has been one of the best decisions I've ever made, especially when it comes to work life balance. My life has become so much better because of it. If this sounds like a lifestyle you'd like to have, then take the time to learn more about starting a business. Today it is easier than ever, and work life balance is a topic you can't afford to ignore. Your health, wealth, and relationships will all be on the fast track of improvement when you start your own business, and get the work life balance you've always dreamed of.
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