Balancing Work and Family, and Having a Family Budget

As professionals it's very hard to balance our work life and family life, and almost impossible for those of us who live in Lagos. In fact, a few of us have given up and the rest of us find it a constant battle.

In today's productivity post, we are going to help you win this battle and for the few that have given up, we are going to give them the push they need to get back in and win.

As we do in businesses, having a plan matters. In fact, no one should have a family without having a family plan, just has no one should start a business without a business plan. And then just as no business plan is final, a family plan should always be revised.

The good thing is that most of us have a well structured job or work life. We know just how much to put into our work life. The only part we struggle with is our family life. We find it hard to figure out just how much time is optimal and where to get the time from. And it's a problem that has motivated a lot of professionals to change their jobs and still not find that balance they seek. 

Without much ado, we will be diving into the three steps you need to take to win this balancing work and family war.

1. Let Go Of Time Wasters

Just as your work has the highest priority during office hours, so also your family has the highest priority outside office hours. The same way you wouldn't chat with your company's gateman during work hours, you shouldn't also after work hours. The only way you can have time for your family is if you let go of those activities that waste your time. Activities you detest during work hours. Outside work, your family is your office. And just as you need a good excuse to take a day off work, you also need a good excuse to spend family time on something else.

So again, the first step you need to take is to put your family first, treat them like your work after work. Whatever will take your time after work must be worth it, and not occur too often.

2. Plan Your Family Life, also have a Family Budget

We all know the saying: "He who fails to plan, plans to fail"

Having a family plan jointly developed with your spouse and children (if they are big enough) is key to building a strong healthy family and having a balanced work - family life. A family goal is the consolidation of the goals of every member of the family. Your own professional goals, your spouse's, the goals for your children and every other personal goals. When everyone is involved and aware of these goals, achieving them becomes less strenuous and updating them becomes very easy. 

The only hard part is having a financial budget for the family. A financial plan that will take into cognizance the plans of everyone today and for the future. But that is why we are here, UrBizEdge, to help you with your hardest analysis issues. To help you get to your goals faster and better. And we have taken the initiative to make you a comprehensive Family Budget Sheet. You can download it here and even share with your friends and relatives.

3. Strategize and Implement

Now that you have all the resources that you need -- more time from having eradicated time wasters and a great family plan -- you need to find a strategy that will make the most of these resources. You need to spend every hour outside work judiciously. And if you feel your work is taking more than it's due it, you need to do something about it. Once you've figured out a strategy that will help you meet your family plans and financial plans, you have to implement the strategy. A plan is useless if it's not implemented.

And as you begin to implement you will discover important things you omitted in the original plan and be forced to make a better plan. 

In the end you will end up winning the work - family balance war.

Don't forget to contact us for your business planning worksheet, budgeting worksheet and Dashboards.

To your success!