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Maintaining a healthy balance between your relationship and business involves setting schedules, having honest communication, and establishing clear boundaries. In my latest podcast episode, my husband addresses questions we received via Instagram stories. While achieving perfect balance may not be possible, there are steps you can take to prioritize your relationship with your partner and avoid sacrificing it for the sake of your business. Here are three key factors that have helped us support each other in both our personal lives and business.

Open communication

Learning how to communicate openly about my goals, business, and expectations has supercharged our relationship. But it wasn’t always that way. I didn’t know how to communicate and ask for help. The early days in business were very challenging for our marriage, as the time I used to spend taking care of the household and being with my husband, I poured now into the business. I often couldn’t do laundry or cook as I used to. I felt guilty and stressed, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience for my husband either, as often he had to pick up the slack.

I learned that being transparent about my goals and how they will affect our life can help set expectations for my husband so he isn’t waiting around for me. As a couple, we communicate about what is essential for our happiness, so we can thrive together as a couple. Open communication helps us to arrange where we can compromise and make sacrifices for a better future together. It allows us to be team players instead of just two busy individuals with unmet expectations.

Scheduling

Intentional scheduling has been vital in balancing our work and nurturing our relationship. Setting aside dedicated time for work and quality time with your partner ensures that neither aspect is neglected.

Spending a few minutes on Sunday talking about our schedule, commitments, and expectations for the upcoming week has transformed how we juggle busy life & work. We both know what to expect and how to best support each other, including when the other person may need more space.

We plan our year, quarters, months and weeks together. That way, we both know the short-term sacrifices we will have to make for achieving our goals and enjoying more quality time together later.

For example, in the last two years, I took the whole month of December off. But the season between September and the end of November is full of hard work and commitments. My husband knows we may need to sacrifice something during this time of year, but we will be able to enjoy uninterrupted month of December being fully present together. Naturally, he is more supportive and understanding when I have to work harder from September to November.

Boundaries

I didn’t even know what that word meant when I started my business. I’d be in work mode, checking my emails, replying to messages during the weekend, morning, evening – anytime, anywhere. Of course, it took a toll on our relationship, as well as on my mental health. Boundaries aren’t just for your relationship; they are for our sanity too. Establishing boundaries & no negotiables for work allows us to recharge and have quality time together, as every relationship needs.

For example:

• Wednesdays and Friday nights are date nights. No matter what.
• There are no electronics or work talk in the bedroom.
• Phones are put away when we go out for a walk or dinner.
• There is always a planned trip book in the calendar to make sure we will prioritize adventures and things we love to do together.
• My husband does not need to know about every frustration I had through the day at work – he does not deserve that energy.

If you’d like to learn more about balancing personal life and building profitable & sustainable business online, follow along on Instagram at @smallbizbabescommunity for daily business advice & empowerement.

Talk soon,

Michaela