how to balance personal & professional time

Balancing personal and professional time is one of the hardest things about working for yourself and making your own hours. Here are a few things I have learned along the way...

photo credit: kathy

Keep regular hours This is vital to getting work done and being productive. Spend some time figuring out what works best for you and then stick to it. I work 9-6 and limit myself to an hour break for lunch. This not only helps me schedule my day, but also helps put boundaries in place with clients. 

Learn to say "No" This can be really hard. When you work for yourself you can't blame your boss for not giving you time off, or the strict policies your company has. Taking two hour lunches, giving a ride to the airport, or spending the day with friends from out of town, will all add up. And as far as favors go, I think friends ask me first, because they know my schedule is more flexible. And while yes, I don't have to file a leave request with my boss, I do still have to take off work. It's important to remember while you would love to see people and help out, you really need to work.

Make exceptions Okay, I know this is silly given the last point, but the great thing about working for yourself, is that you work for yourself! When something personal comes up that you would really like to do, find a way to make it work. Recently some friends from out of town were in Houston, so I got up super early to get my work done before hand so I could visit. This can also be said of working during your personal hours. I have worked late nights and over the weekend to be part of professional projects that otherwise I wouldn't have had the opportunity to do. The importance here is to make these the exceptions and not the rule.