Business or Life: Which Is More Important?

by Cheryl Williams Levey
Copyright (c) 2003 Cheryl Williams Levey. All Rights Reserved.

In the past few months, I have been reevaluating my life and exactly where my time has been spent. Initially, this reevaluation was focused on my business, the tasks I do each day, and redefining my priorities to make my business more efficient. More recently, I have been taking a close look at my life as a whole. I've not lost my passion for my business, but I do believe I was placing more importance on my "work" than on the other parts of my life.

For example, I've been staying home to work while my husband takes my son to his sports practices, and opting to work on evenings when I should have been spending time with my husband.

I know that starting a business takes sacrifice, especially in the beginning, and that I should work when most people watch TV, etc. And I agree with that to a great degree. But I think that I, personally, was taking that philosophy a little too far. The point of making the change from a traditional work place to a home business environment was, after all, to have more time with my family. And I have been denying them -- and myself -- that perk.

My solution? To consciously make LIFE a higher priority than work. Of course I still have deadlines and obligations, and I will follow through with everything I promise. But does it really hurt anything if I take an hour or two away to show my family support by going to my son's practices or by watching a movie with my husband?

Truth is, I've been more efficient this week while slacking off of my rigid work schedule than I was before I allowed myself the additional breaks in my routine. I'm getting out more, socializing more, and enjoying some fresh air to boot. And in the end, while the computer may always be here, it sure doesn't provide the friendships or the physical and emotional closeness that us humans need as humans.

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Cheryl Williams Levey is a writer/designer living in beautiful
Arizona. She writes and creates on a variety of topics,
some serious and some fun. Check out her writing
and designs at http://www.cherylsweb.com.