Don’t Let Your Business Throw Your Life Out Of Balance

Have you ever driven a car that has a wheel out of balance?  The car no longer rolls along, but instead it shutters as the out of balance wheel bounces along the pavement.   Over time this not only makes for an uncomfortable ride, but it also puts unnecessary wear on the vehicle as well.   The good news is that this once out of balance wheel can be easily brought back into balance by simply adding or adjusting the placement of weights.   Once this is done, the ride once again becomes smooth and the wheel functions as it should.

So what does this have to with your network marketing business?  I’m glad you asked.

Getting Out Of Balance With Your Time

When an individual moves from the role of employee to entrepreneur it is necessary that they begin to invest high levels of focused time and attention to their business, particularly in the early stages.   Over time the business owner may find that they have lost the balance in their life when it comes to how their time is utilized.  Time that could be spent on personal development, exercise, spiritual development or interacting with friends and family instead gets diverted to marketing and business building.   When these other areas of life get out of of balance, they can actually produce negative outcomes in the business as well.   It is important that you learn to manage your time effectively when it is devoted to the business, but you also need to put boundaries on your business time, so that you do not sacrifice the time that is set apart for these other critical activities.

Getting Out Of Balance In Your Relationships

While relationship are the foundation of any network marketing business, they should not be viewed as a means to an end.  There are 3 primary relationships that often get out of balance for the entrepreneur, especially the serial entrepreneur.  These are the relationship with God, the relationship with family and the relationship with others.

I have found over the years that it is tempting to forfeit my morning time of prayer and Bible study to get in an extra hour of marketing or additional meetings.   I have also found that when I make that compromise, my business actually suffers.   The reality is that I am highly dependent upon that time of spiritual refreshment each day.  My time with God gives me the wisdom, discernment and vision to run my business effectively.   My time of daily Bible study teaches me not only how to be a more devoted follower of Jesus and his teachings, but it also teaches me how to treat others, how to lead, how to manage resources and many other lessons of life.   In addition I take Sundays off from my business, this one day a week is a chance to refresh, renew and refocus my life.  This truly is the foundation for me and if I ignore it every other area of my life will suffer.

Another area of life that often gets out of balance for a business owner is their relationship to their family.  This includes both the relationship to their spouse and the relationship with their children.  By my very nature I tend to have workaholic tendencies.  If I do not reign those tendencies in, my mind is focused on my business and my ministry 24 hours a day (even when I sleep).   This is not healthy and it drives a wedge between myself, my wife and my children.   It is critical that each day you proactively make time for your family.   I shut off my computer each day at dinner time and spend the next few hours enjoying the company of my wife and children.  On Saturdays I will only work for 2-3 hours in the morning and only if my family has no other activities scheduled.  I stop working to attend my children’s ball games, concerts and plays.   When my life is complete my greatest legacy will be the legacy left with my children.

The last area that can get out of balance is in our relationship to other people.   It is important to maintain relationships that are not focused on finding another customer or recruiting another MLM distributor.   Friendship will not only give you an opportunity to set the business aside for a few moments, but it will also aid to bring about greater fulfillment in your life.   Take time out on a weekly basis to eat lunch with a friend, have people over to barbecue or find some other outlet where you can simply let down your hair (if you still have hair) and be yourself.

Having a network marketing business is one of the greatest sources of enjoyment and accomplishment you can have in your life; however, be on guard against letting your life get out of balance.