Are you family or career-oriented? Until recently, that was a reasonable question to ask most people. In the past, a person’s gender or economic background decided their priorities in life with little flexibility. The past few years have seen a significant change in the status quo, one that you can capitalize on to cheat the old system and maximize your work and family lives at the same time.
When Liz Coon decided it was time to recreate her life, she put complete trust in her company, especially the marketing side. She believes restructuring your lifestyle means aligning yourself with people you can trust.
In her professional life, she is a third-year Real Estate Broker for Berkshire Hathaway (yes, that Berkshire Hathaway). Her family life has brought home truths that now define her career aspirations. She believes that the personal-professional relationship can be symbiotic rather than conflicting. If somebody who works for a company with the prestige of Warren Buffett as its CEO can get the balance right, you probably can too. Here are her tips to rediscover your family by rethinking your career:
1. Build The Right Workforce
Entrepreneurs can talk about being flexible all day, but the reality is somebody needs to do the work. Too many fall into the trap of doing everything alone, leaving little time for family. Alternatively, they sacrifice their strategies for downtime, which results in no growth.
To strive for balance in all areas, you should work with like-minded people with strengths in areas you lack. Hence, Liz hired an assistant. Taking similar steps will help to support your dramatically restructured life.
“To be the Mom and Dad to my kids, I needed my workforce to be nearly flawless,” she stated. “That meant working with anyone who wanted to learn real estate and having them do the tasks that weren’t my favorite part of the job to free up space for the things I love. That brought a faster pace, allowing me more time with my children.”
2. Be Family-Motivated
This point subverts the clash introduced earlier. People are starting to realize that family doesn’t need to stand in the way of career progression. In fact, it can stimulate, guide, and inspire it in a way you may not previously have thought possible.
“My competitors who make two incomes may have the desire to make just enough for their part of the living expenses,” the real estate professional explained. “As a single mom, I had to recreate my life to support my children. Alongside flexibility, that included building a business with the ability to expand with no cap.”
Putting your family at the center of your new working life may have knock-on business benefits, too. Delegating tasks to those with the right skills can lead to higher productivity, while you can fuel your ambitions with the desire to give your family a better life.
3. Set An Example For Your Kids
When listening to Liz’s thoughts, the final takeaway is a motivation to be a role model for her children. The work-life balance isn’t always about bottom lines and free afternoons. Some adjust it to set a healthy example for the young people they raise.
In the real estate professional’s mind, you should focus on three aspects. The first—growing your business—we have already touched on. Following these steps while you grow should enable your children to see the template for running a family-first business.
The second is Berkshire Hathaway’s founding value: trust. Trust, philanthropy and budgeting all sit alongside the family as a guiding principle in the company. Practicing integrity in all aspects of your own working life could ensure your kids keep it at the center of theirs.
Finally, Liz is active in her community and encourages her four children to be too. Mixing volunteering with day-to-day work is critical both for raising selfless children and developing a sustainable business. “To make business connections, I have to build relationships,” she proclaimed. “So taking a role in the community is a must.”
Time management is the string that ties everything together. In the world we live in today, many people find it impossible to balance family and work. Time-blocking, a known art used by successful people, contributes to growth and gives you comfort in knowing what you have planned will be accomplished.
