Balance of Power
by Dera DeRoche-Jolet

This past holiday season and New Year has really opened my eyes to few things about owning my own business. The busy season stretches you to the limit both personally and professionally. Plus, the end of the year and the beginning of a new one has a tendency to compel you glance back and look ahead.

This year, I was reminded again that my life is very different than it used to be and how fortunate I am to be in this industry and own my own business. While I feel that I have worked hard and adapted quite well, even though it’s been almost twenty years, I’ve made mistakes and I'm still in the process of learning how to deal with it.

Specifically, one of the major aspects of owning my own business, is the need for self-discipline. When I had a job, someone else told me when to be at work, and when to take time off. They told me what to do and gave me specific tasks to accomplish with a set time span in which to complete them. For me, it didn't take a lot of discipline. I knew that if I didn’t show up and complete my work, I'd get fired.

But now that I own my own business, no one tells me when to work, or what to do. I have to rely on myself to know what needs to be done, and to do it. I also need to remember when to delegate.

If you own your own alarm company you probably possess that control and self-discipline along with the drive and desire to make your business work. I don't think I have to describe the feeling that we entrepreneurs who own our own businesses, have. There’s that little voice inside that warns you over and over again, "If you don't succeed, you may lose your business. You may even have to go out and get another job." I listen very carefully to that voice. I heed it's warning. In fact, as the owner of a company with employees, I am very aware that I am not the only one who would be affected.

But my biggest problem in the self-discipline area hasn’t been finding the drive and desire to work, but knowing when to stop working. When you work for someone else, that is not a problem. I treasured my days off. I enjoyed them immensely. But now, its different. That's all changed.

I can't tell you how often I have given up something in my personal life while I "answered just a couple more phone calls" or "handled just one more emergency." Sound familiar?

The need for balance has come to have new meaning to me. When you work for someone else, it's easier to balance work and home. You're at work for 8 hours a day. The rest of the time, you deal with the rest of your life.

But, when you own your own business, it's hard to know where one ends and the other begins. When the scale tips for a long time to one side, you’ve got trouble. In my own home, I have taken over parts of it for my office. When I walk through my house, I see my computer and piles of paperwork. When I look at my computer and empty chair, it represents all the work I need to do, or "should" be doing.

So, how then, can we balance our lives? Good question. Some people make up schedules. Others make up lists. Each one of us probably has a different formula for organizing our lives so that our business life and our personal life are balanced. You’ve got find out and do what works best for you.

When either home or work is off balance, eventually both will be affected. The first step, though, is to be aware of the need for that balance. Once you’ve taken that first step, you can then use your self-discipline and experience to find a way to do it. It’s an ongoing challenge. Just remember that taking time off is just as important as working.