Shane Krider’s Mind Power
Shane Krider shares his tips on finding balance while still choosing to be successful.
The most difficult thing I have achieved as an entrepreneur, is creating any resemblance of a balanced life. I’ve only tackled it the last few years, but since it clicked, life balance has become an important priority for me. I have to continually work at it, but living this amazing life of my own creation is the reward, so it’s totally worth it!
But what I know, being an entrepreneur, is that driven people can find it difficult to achieve life balance. When you’re building a business, there’s so much time and attention given to it, because it’s your passion, it ignites you, it consumes your mind even when you’re away from it. You can become singularly focused, which leaves deficits in other areas of your life. So finding balance is an extraordinary thing to do well, while still choosing to be successful.
The biggest mistake you can make is giving up something you love, to assign that time to another area in your life. If you feel like you’re giving up one thing for another, resentment will inevitably creep in and undo everything you’ve achieved. So that’s not what I’m suggesting. Life isn’t an either / or situation. You can have it all. But first, you must be clear on these two things:
- What does life balance look like for you? Don’t under estimate what you’re asking for. It’s an amazing thing and it’s absolutely worth achieving. You can do it and it doesn’t have to be hard, but you do need clarity on what balance is for you, and make it your primary focus. Map it out and prioritize starting today.
- Nobody’s life is perfect. Trying to make your life perfect is ridiculous. You have to create your own measurement scale; it’s not about keeping up with the Joneses. It’s an impossible standard that keeps changing as you reach it! Create the vision of the balance you want to reach. Not perfection. Balance.
Life balance is particularly challenging for entrepreneurs, because their passion is their priority, which is their business. But for me, this is also the key! Find a way to ignite that same drive and passion in every department of your life balance map. Make every moment as engaging for you as when you’re working your business. Once you do this, you’ll want to spend time in those areas and then you’ll find the time.
My life balance map is family, business, my relationship, fitness and friends. I struggled with the fitness thing for a while. I couldn’t wait to get to the end of my workouts; I really didn’t want to be there. Inevitably, time for fitness would quickly fade out of my schedule. But when I put the same amount of creative energy into finding a fitness activity that fully engaged me at the same level as my business, then I couldn’t WAIT to get stuck in! Suddenly I found the time to include it in my life and now, I look forward to it every day. Aaah… balance. Thank you Yoga!
Obviously, you have to work strategically to create the space for family, fitness, relationships and friends. You have to prioritize if you’re going to achieve the elusive entrepreneur life balance. But how?
How can you do it all when you’re so busy already? You have to expand. Make it worth it! As you expand you will be capable of more. You’re just going to have to learn to juggle more balls. When the balls fall (and they will) learn to be OK with that. Remember, you’re going to improve and soon you’ll be adding more balls because you know the effort will be worth it.
How do you find the time? Stop watching TV. Stop mind-numbing entertainment and start engaging, planning, doing!
To live this extraordinary existence as a successful entrepreneur with a balanced life, be clear with what balance looks like to you; re-prioritize your life, starting TODAY; and just do it! No procrastination. Action. Ignite the passion in every department of your life, leave the project unfinished for now, and be OK with that. Life won’t be perfect. But it will be perfectly balanced.
Shane Krider