I was at a holiday party last night for my power team, FYbI Network. We usually have networking followed by a 40-minute presentation of interest to small business owners, then end with more networking. Last night was different. It was just about gathering together those people who supported FYbI Network through the year to celebrate the creation of something meaningful.
While I was there talking with other business owners and enjoying egg nog (for the first time in years) I came to realize that balance is attainable. For one thing, my wife was there with me. So there was some balance with my personal and professional life mixing. I was glad she was able to be there and meet my colleagues, clients and partners. Makes my business seem much more real now I'm sure.
The other aspect of the balance was that the event was almost entirely social. When you like the people you work and associate with, then you're not working when you go to an evening function like this. No, you're having fun with friends that you might do business with or refer business to.
I think it boils down to this, for a small business owner mixing business with pleasure is a key way to attain a balanced life. If the two sides of your life can't meet in the middle sometimes, then you probably will struggle with balance.
