Let's talk about the stress of running a Home-Based Business and still finding the time to spend with our loved ones. It's sometimes a high wire act we have to go through to balance everything and make everyone happy.
This is especially true when you're first starting out. You can never find enough time to do the business, especially when you have a full time job to go along with it.
Branding, Networking, Blogging, Tweeting, Posting, Learning, Teaching and Presenting take a lot of time out of our day. So where do we find the time to devote to our family?
A lot of people make the mistake thinking that their spouse/partner, kids, pets and friends will understand the devotion we have to make to the business, but in reality, it's not an easy thing for them to understand. As it is with most things, the excitement and motivation wears off after time, and then throw in the fact that very few of us make any worthwhile money for the first year or so, it's easy to understand how the tension can build up in the family. The support for the venture soon turns to animosity, jealousy and eventually mutiny. I see it happening every day.
So how do we combat this? How do we continue to get the support from the family?
Some of the things I've personally done, and learned from my Mentors is that you have to schedule time with your family and take a couple days off from your Home-Based Business regularly.
I for example devote Sundays to my family. I very rarely do work on Sunday (that is unless I'm up early and everyone else is sleeping in. Shh, don't tell my wife). I also schedule every other Thursday as Date Night, were we get a babysitter and just my wife and I go out to dinner and a movie. We use that time to reconnect. I also drive my wife to work 3 days a week so we can at least spend time talking about whatever is on our minds. Sometimes it's about her work, or the business or whatever is on our minds.
Another key thing that I've done is to dream with my family. What I mean is that we talk about our dreams and set goals for things we want to do or want to have. My theory is that if everyone is on the same page as far as where we want to end up, it makes the time sacrifice a little easier to bear.
For example, we love to travel, so we've set vacation goals and planned vacations that at this time we can't afford, so it gives us a common goal to work towards. My son wants to go to Egypt and see the Pyramids before his Passport expires in 4 years. We've also set a goal to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro together on the same trip. Since he knows that this won't happen unless my business takes off, he's more understanding. Another goal we have is for my wife to be able to retire by the end of this year, so whenever she hints that I need to take a break, I remind her that I'm working towards HER retirement. ha ha
My point with all this is that you have to include your family in your plans and dreams, or they'll feel disconnected from you. And if that happens, your Home-Based Business will become more of a chore than a path to freedom.
And that's why we're doing this in the first place isn't it? So that one day in the near future we're successful enough to work our way out of the business and live off the royalties.
So put your family first or at least a close second. Otherwise, you may end up dreaming alone.
To Your Success! Because Your Success Matters!
David Haines
http://www.davidahaines.com
(215) 268-6696 Anytime!
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