As a business owner, your primary objective is finding commercial success. The temptation to devote every minute toward this goal can be intense. There is never enough time available for taking care of customers. Entrepreneurs who fall into the trap of focusing all their energy on work are making a huge mistake. Without maintaining a proper work-life balance, personal lives unravel, work suffers, and the risk of losing everything vastly increases. Here are a few warning signs that you’re in danger of falling victim to this mindset.
You Are Always Thinking About Work
For employees, it’s easy to leave responsibilities in the office. They place the day’s stressors in a metaphorical box and forget about them until morning. As the owner of a startup, there’s no set schedule. The pressure is always on. Simply put, you’re responsible for making sure everything’s running smoothly, no matter whether it’s day or night. Since the buck stops with you, it can be hard to stop fretting over work duties, even when you’re off the clock. Raise the red flag if your thoughts constantly return to your job when enjoying yourself should be the top priority.
You Constantly Feel Sick
Racing thoughts sometimes hinder proper rest. When a preoccupation with chores causes you to lose sleep, exhaustion develops. Being constantly tired could lead to sloppy work and ultimately degrade profits. Workaholics often forget the importance of nutrition. By attempting to squeeze the most out of every day, they opt for fast food over healthier alternatives that take longer to prepare. In addition to degrading health, wolfing down meals heavy in fats and sugars causes sickness, thus leading to missed days. Beware of sudden weight gain or an overreliance on antacids.
You Are Losing Touch With Family
Strained relationships are another clue. When all your time becomes monopolized by work, romantic partners are likely to feel ignored. Some significant others will be direct about their feelings. Others will remain silent and seek emotional fulfillment elsewhere. An affair might be an indication you have an obsession with your job. Bosses who expend too much energy with their noses to the grindstone also lose touch with children. Make sure you’re arriving home in time to enjoy a worthwhile chunk of quality time together.
No matter what type of enterprise you own, maintaining work-life balance is essential. Watch for evidence that you’re letting your business run you instead of the other way around.