We are diving into part two of Work, Life, Hustle, Balance – How to really do it all as women business owners and entrepreneurs.

Win at Work and Succeed at Life

Recently, I took a mini-vacation to Maine. On the way home, I was listening to the Read to Lead Podcast where Meghan Hyatt Miller was sharing about her most recent book, Win at Work and Succeed at Life written with her dad, Michael Hyatt.

I was introduced to Michael Hyatt at the beginning of my business owner journey and learned about setting S.M.A.R.T. goals, and I knew that this new book was a must read.

It proved to be timely because I had been feeling the tug—not balanced, needing to get back into alignment.

I had an Audible credit waiting for me, so I immediately downloaded the book, finished it in about 3 days, and started to tell my friends to read it!

For the business owner who loves her business but has struggled with balancing life and work and wants to spend more time living life, this book is pivotal.

The authors provide insights and relatable stories and help you to figure out how to apply the principles shared so that you can Win at Work and Succeed at Life.

In the book, they share 5 Principles of the Double Win. Here are those principles along with some of my thoughts and takeaways:

1.“Work is only one of many ways to orient your life. You want all of the domains of your life to thrive together. Work can push out the other domains fast.” *quoted from book

If you’re anything like me, you also want to be able to cultivate all of the areas of your life and not only your business. It’s easy to allow our hustle, and our work to take over.

When I’m 85, I want to be able to look back at my life and feel that I lived a full life that was meaningful and focused on the things that mattered the most. For me, that’s more than the work that I love and that I get to do.

2. “Put constraints in place to foster productivity and creativity.” *quoted from book.

Boundaries are a good thing to have in place. They are not roadblocks and shouldn’t be viewed as negative. A simple example of how to set a boundary is to ask yourself, “What time am I starting and ending my workday?” It’s a simple question, but it frees you up to close your laptop and walk away from your desk when the workday has a definite ending. A schedule will allow you to be more productive and creative. Check out my blog post on Productivity Hacks to help you get more done.

3. “Work/Life Balance is possible” *quoted from book

Raise your hand, if you feel like you’re always juggling all the things?  Don’t worry, I’ve got my raised hand too! One thing that stood out to me in the book is that work/life balance is not about perfection. It will never be perfect.  I do believe that as business owners we will have seasons that call for longer hours, but those seasons shouldn’t last forever.  Life experiences, along with insights provided through each of the 5 Principles of the Double Win, I do believe that a more intentional and thoughtful approach will allow us to thrive and have the balance that feels right.

4. The power in Non-Achievement

This principle made me think through my hobbies and things that I like to do simply for fun. Has anyone ever asked you what you do for fun, and it takes you 5 minutes or more to respond?  We love our work so much at times that it becomes our favorite thing to do.  I love flowers and gardening. I love my hands in the dirt, designing, figuring out what will work together. There’s no big achievement involved. I do it only for the joy of the work and the beauty of flowers that I get to enjoy. And that is so fulfilling.

5. Rest

It’s not always easy to carve out self-care time, but if we want to meet our goals, it’s essential that we get enough rest and take time to recharge between busy weeks.

Sure, I can show up to 20 networking events a month, build a great business, work with 500 clients, say yes to every speaking opportunity, but what about the other areas of my life?

I value myself (health, spiritual, mental health), my family, my faith, my friends, and my business. That’s why I want to make space for everything that I value. Work can’t have 95%. It just can’t.

Alex Soojung-Kim Pang said in the book Rest, “We need to rethink the relationship between work and rest…We shouldn’t regard rest as a mere physical necessity to be satisfied grudgingly; we should see it as an opportunity.”

For entrepreneurs, that’s a hard but necessary mindset shift.

My Review of Win at Work and Succeed at Life by Michael Hyatt and Meghan Hyatt Miller

This book is a must-read for any business owner who feels torn, tugged in different directions but wants to feel aligned and have a fulfilling personal life alongside a successful business.

Since reading this book, I have been more intentional about the five principles. I’ve spent a few weekends doing my favorite hobby; I’ve put some constraints in place to end my workday; I feel more balanced, and I’ve definitely said no to hustle. I think I’d call it balanced hustle. I don’t hustle every hour of the day, just during my hours set aside for work.

Each of these principles working together will help you win at work and succeed at life.

Here’s to thriving!

Check out part one here: Work, Life, Hustle, Balance – How to Really Do it All: Part 1

Warmly,

Shawon