Mental Health of Tradies - Tips on how to Save/Improve your relationship/s

So you are your own boss? Been doing it for a while now? Working long hours? Coming home exhausted? Have you forgotten the meaning of what being your own boss means? More time freedom right? Getting ahead financially? More time for self and family? Along the way perhaps you've lost some mojo, lost some motivation. Perhaps you work alone? Whatever your case may be - this is definitely for you. 

As you've probably learnt, being self-employed has more responsibilities than just keeping the business alive and paying the bills. Looking after the people that you have relationships with and the people that helped you become your own boss to begin with; or have helped you along the way is an integral part of success. Here are EIGHTEEN super awesome tips , from a self employed veteran - Nick Howell on how to be proactive; how to fix your relationships/; how to achieve a healthier work/life balance with your wife/partner & children. 

18 Super awesome tips to save to have a healtheir work/life balance if you are a hard working tradie

1. Learn the art of separating business from personal (when you're on the road, you need to stay focused. When at home, focus on family and wife (after work stuff is done). 
2. Let the wife in on your challenges and stresses. Talk to them, get their opinions and input. They quite often have a different perspective and can help you through things (Im guilty of not doing this sometimes)
3. Include the wife in the business. Let her feel it is as much hers as it is yours. Give her little jobs to do like book keeping or calling customers or checking stock.
4. Share your wins
5. Share your losses
6. Be honest
7. Schedule time off to be together. This business can have crazy long hours and wifey can get lonely or forgotten. Just take a day here and there, afterall, we are our bosses and that is why I became my own boss to begin with - have more free, have more time for me & my family
8. Show them the bank account :)       - this one goes both ways!  A low balance can motivate you - let your wife motivate you!   A high balance can be rewarding and the wife can also stand behind you if she sees how much all your extra effort is achieving!
9. Understand our wife has a life as well. Before you became your own boss - you probably had no other option/s. After a while they learn that your new lifestyle may be a little more flexible. Use that flexibility to help them out. For example, pick the kids up from school so she doesnt have to rush around. Every once in a while come home early on a Friday or take a Monday off...
10. Make sure she gets time to herself. It cant always be about the business. There are other important things in life to look after. READ the story (below) on Fitting the big rocks of life into your life. 
11. Do something as simple as txt each other during day. Or call her. We make time to talk to customers, why can't we make time for our wives.
12. Invite her on the road sometimes so she can see what we deal with on a daily basis. It may not be practical but every now and then wouldnt hurt. She could physically see the rollercoaster we ride every day.
13. Meet up for lunch on a regular basis. (We dont because sometimes I work ages away/don't have the flexibility to commit to an exact time but on the rare occasion our days line up we have that lunch rendezous and it is awesome!)
14. Share the funny and awkward stories with her. Its not all serious stuff.
15. GET AN AUPAIR! LOL. MY HOUSE IS CLEAN HAHA . Aupair is a service whereby for $200-$300/ week we now have a live-in nanny who does our grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, baby-sitting, cooking, car washing, school drop offs, school pick ups - you name it! I wish I knew about this sooner!
16. If you have a good profitable business, buy her a nice car? Why the hell not. She deserves it!
17. Take long weekends away. Spoil her and the kids.
18. Find the balance that works for both of you and then refine it and then refine it again.

FITTING THE BIG ROCKS IN - STORY - TO ACHIEVE BETTER WORK / LIFE BALANCE

One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, “Okay, time for a quiz.”

Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide mouth Mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?”

Everyone in the class said, “Yes.”

Then he said, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the space between the big rocks.

Then he asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?”

By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not,” one of them answered.

“Good!” he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?”

“No!” the class shouted.

Once again he said, “Good.” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim.

Then he looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”

One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!”

“No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.”

What are the “big rocks” in your life? Time with your loved ones? Your faith, your education, your dreams? A worthy cause? Teaching or mentoring others?

Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you’ll never get them in at all

What are your 'BIG ROCKS'?

Examples Include

• Time for Family 
• Time for children
• Vacations
• Fitness
• Health
• Time for sport
• Time for fun
• Time for 'Me 'Time
• Time for a healthy diet
• Time for exercise
• Time for planning & thinking
• Time for book -keeping, accounting  (discipline = freedom!)
• Time fo RELAXATION!
• Time for friends
• Time for meditation
• Time for detoxing
• Time to for 'Whatever I want / really feel like doing '

What are your big rocks? We'd love to hear about them! We'd love to hear your tips on achieving a healthy work life balance! Email us @ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.