Starting and running a successful business is by no means an easy task. It involves first developing an interesting business concept, starting and executing the concepts in question, and then working on the day-to-day functions that will keep the business running. This, naturally, requires a lot of time, effort, and resources and as such, it is not unusual for business owners to feel burnt out or have a no work-life balance.
Just like a person who works in a 9-to-5 job, business owners also have to ensure that they keep up-to-date with their leisure and personal life at the same time. Zaf Baker is known to be a successful car and real estate dealer but is also famous for his highflying lifestyle. This includes trips to sports games, movie launches, red carpet events, luxury vacations and some of the most exclusive private members clubs and restaurants in the world, and so on. Many often wonder how Baker is able to maintain such an extensive business empire while still living the high life and enjoying life to the fullest. However, his lifestyle does have many lessons to be learned for entrepreneurs, especially when it comes to maintaining a good work-life balance.
One of the first of these lessons is incorporating things that you are passionate about into your business to start with. Zaf is known to be very enthusiastic about his car collection which ties into his business. He is also known to have multiple businesses around the world. This means that the work he is involved in is also something that he is passionate about and thus, he is less likely to feel burnt out and stressed with regards to the day-to-day activities. When starting a business, try and make sure it is in a sector that you are deeply passionate about and as such, it will not necessarily feel like work. For example, if you’re passionate about food, starting a business that requires you to constantly work with food and food-related products will feel more enjoyable for you.
Then, it is imperative that you make a distinction between your workspace and your leisure space. While he has businesses in multiple parts of the world, he is known to escape to other parts of the globe for vacation and family time. Retreating to a place that is not connected in any way to your work can often force you to relax and focus on other things besides just working all the time. Also, make this a priority with both family and friends.
Zaf Baker, for example, is known to invite his friends and family to his vacations around the world and when you have friends and family around you during your leisure time, you are less likely to fall into the temptation of returning to work. Next, it is important that you choose a number of hobbies that are not being monetized or turned into a business.
When you have a hobby that you dedicate your time to for non-monetary purposes, it can give you a reason to schedule time outside of work. The term leisure can be very vague and if you decide to just lay around resting there is the probability you will begin to do more work due to boredom. However, if you are working on projects, or actively carrying out leisure activities, you are less likely to fall off.
As much as possible, dedicate specific times of the day month, or year strictly for relaxation and rest. If you run your own business, it is easy to have it take over all of your free time. To combat this, decide on a definite closing time for your business after which you will no longer work on anything business-related. Also, schedule short and long vacations throughout the year which gives you something to look forward to as well as a way to take your mind off work.
If your business can afford it, hire people to whom you can outsource certain tasks and duties that you trust. Zaf Baker and his brother are both involved in their businesses and this has the advantage that one member of the partnership can handle the business should the other need a break or a vacation. Before you begin a business, speak to these people and inform them that certain points in time, each member of the partnership will take on duties on behalf of the other to foster a better work-life balance for everyone involved.
Having a good work-life balance is not only beneficial for business productivity but also has numerous health benefits as well. Take the above steps to heart with inspiration from Zaf Baker and make sure that your work and leisure are well balanced out.