3 Ways to Live Long and Prosper in Business

Work-life balance is a popular topic today, yet striking that balance means something different to every person. Despite all these differences, one thing is clear for anyone in business: if you drop dead at an early age, your quest at striking the right work-life balance is over…for good.

According to a recent article published in the British medical journal The Lancet, a higher risk of illness is the danger facing many professionals whom we would label as “workaholics”–specifically those who work more than 55 hours a week. The study found that people who work long hours significantly increase their risk for depression, alcoholism, type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and virtually every other malady we tend to associate with the mad modern lifestyle.

The interesting paradox, however, is that it doesn’t look like putting in all those extra hours really pays off in terms of accomplishing very much in our businesses. A study conducted by John Pencavel for the Institute for the Study of Labor and Stanford University shows that when people work beyond about 50 hours a week, their productivity falls off significantly.

In other words, if you’re making it a regular habit to hit the 50 to 60 hour-per-week level in your business, not only are you on the road to ruining your health and suffering a major burnout, you’re spending a good chunk of that time spinning your wheels.

The problem for many small business owners and entrepreneurs is that, rightly or wrongly, they feel they can’t take the time away from work to enjoy the rest and relaxation that they know they need. A good solution to this is to take a series of “smaller steps” to begin to restore this elusive work-life balance; don’t think that you have to spend a month cruising European rivers to recharge your batteries.

1. Let’s get physical.

A good place to start is with revitalizing your physical relationship with your partner.

“These days we're busier than ever, and many people tell me that they're too tired to have sex. Yet, most people agree that sex is one of the most relaxing and pleasurable activities in our life. It connects us to our partner and helps us feel more confident and alive,” says Dr. Lori Buckley, a licensed psychologist and certified sex therapist, at the Sinclair Institute.

“When we have good sexual experiences, we feel more balanced, whole, and happy. Making the time for ourselves and our relationship is important to feeling good at our jobs, which makes us more productive and successful,” she adds.

Being mindful of tending to our personal relationships is central to success in life, and business is certainly an integral part of our lives. I don’t know how many tales of woe I’ve heard from startup founders who discovered only too late that the hours and attention they were putting into their companies resulted in broken marriages. And honestly, just as often, the businesses didn’t survive either!

2. Let’s stay home.

Another weapon we have in the battle against workaholism, is telecommuting. If you’re a savvy business owner you may already be offering this option to your team as a way to improve their lives. Why not take advantage of yourself?

Sometimes as the person in charge, we believe that our companies can’t get by for a single day without our physical presence. Frankly, that’s just some false combination of myth and ego.

In fact, if we aren’t building a business model and team that can function without us, we aren’t truly creating value. Simply put, it you have to be at your company for it to function, you are the business. When you try to cash out, you will be rudely awakened to this reality.

Take the baby steps of working from home a day or two each week. The exercise will force you to to start loosening your grip on the reins, find others who can assume responsibility and delegate some of your tasks. It will also put you in a better position to give your home life and personal life a little care and feeding.

3. Just say “no.”

Finally, understand and implement the 80-20 rule. In virtually every business, 80 percent of the profit is generated by 20 percent of the clients or product lines. However, the temptation to chase after all the small contributors is always strong. You need to learn to say “no” to these. They are productivity killers, and that negativity ends up bleeding over into your personal life.

Steve Jobs famously commented on this once: “People think focus means saying ‘yes' to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying ‘no' to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I'm actually as proud of the things we haven't done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying ‘no' to 1,000 things.”

Buckley echos Jobs’ comments, but as she reflects on our personal lives, “I've also learned that we don't need to do it all to have it all. It's important to know when to say ‘yes,’ and when to say ‘no’ to people and things. When you're clear about what you want and why it's important to you, it's easier to make good conscious decisions that contribute to your life, career, and family.”

We often consider these topics when we’re putting our New Year’s resolutions together, but they are really issues that should be top-of-mind all year long. Nurture your personal and physical relationships, disconnect and delegate at work, and learn to say ‘no,’–you’ll live a longer, healthier, more productive, and more profitable life.

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The post 3 Ways to Live Long and Prosper in Business appeared first on AllBusiness.com.