Being a business owner is not without sacrifice.
Unfortunately, one of the things that can get sacrificed in a hurry is making the time to connect with other leaders or owners in the community.
As I connect with our Live Well Kitsap business owners, as well as reflect on my own 30 plus year history as a business owner, I am reminded what often gets sacrificed is time with those we love as well as time reaching out and connecting with others in the community. Neither of those can be sacrificed over the long term without great cost.
We miss out when we don’t make time for those we love, and we also experience a cost to not making time for the community at large.
Not only do our closest relationships suffer, but we also miss opportunities to serve our community, make connections and develop friendships, and we miss the potential to create strategic partnerships that can benefit our own as well as others businesses as well.
Here’s some quick thoughts about how to break out of the “I’m too busy to spend time with family, friends or my community” conundrum.
1. Recognize time is precious and be more intentional about how and where and with who you spend it. Carving out an intentional 10 minutes with your spouse or sweetie before running out the door to work can go a long way as can setting up mini play dates with your kiddos.
2. Carve out regular family time in a way that accomplishes more than one goal. Perhaps you are too busy to get to the gym or engage in that sport or workout that you’d really like to do, but you can choose to take a family walk after dinner. Making that a habit allows you to move your body and spend time with family.
3. Find one activity or event a month that gets you around other business owners/ leaders. Whether you attend a Chamber event, or come to a Live Well Kitsap / Vibe social happy hour on the first Friday of each month, having something on the calendar each month will ensure that you are making the time to connect with others for your benefit and theirs.
It is not easy being a CEO, small business owner or leader, however investing time with those you love and those in the community will be time well spent. When you tell yourself that you are too busy for that, then it may be time to reevaluate how you spend your time. Ask for help where needed or delegate some tasks and responsibilities to capable others to help you live a more balanced life that includes more quality people time.
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