It can seem like the most ambitious, successful professionals need to be committed to their work before all else, but in reality, that strategy can often backfire. What many truly successful entrepreneurial professionals will tell you is that striking the right balance between work and personal is key to their success. So, what does your work-life balance look like? Has it been turned upside down by changes in the last six months? Have you found ways to maintain the balance? Though it can sometimes feel like a challenge, investing in getting this balance right can play a significant role in your success. Let’s take a look at a few things entrepreneurs do to keep the balance:

They Define it Themselves

The term work-life balance may bring to mind different things for different people. There’s plenty of information out there about what a work-life balance “should” look like, but if we’re truly going to invest in this, we need to know what a work-life balance looks like for ourselves. This is why top entrepreneurs define what that balance themselves. What are your priorities, both professional and personal, and how do those factor into the balance? Has your life changed in any significant ways over the last few years that have caused your goals to shift? Getting clear about what a healthy work-life balance looks like for you may seem simple, but it’s a powerful first step.

They Utilize Habits and Routine

Top entrepreneurs know that defining a work-life balance is one thing, but maintaining it can feel like another story. That’s why they create habits and routines that support the balance. Maybe you want to have more productive mornings at work so you can spend more time with your family in the evening. Creating habits like getting up a bit earlier and turning off your phone after a certain time in the evening can help you consistently maintain the balance.

They Create Clear Boundaries

One of the biggest challenges to finding and maintaining this balance is that there’s often little to no separation between our work and personal lives. So many of us get work emails on our phones or field personal texts and calls throughout the workday. It happens in both directions – work can seep into our personal lives, and our personal lives can seep into work time. Creating some clear boundaries between the two can help professionals better maintain the balance. Whether it means turning off notifications for work emails on your phone after work hours or giving yourself distraction-free windows at work, setting up some boundaries around your time can help prevent work and personal from blurring together.

They Know When to Recalibrate

Maintaining a balance isn’t always easy. It takes consistent effort, and even then, we can still sometimes be thrown off track. Top professionals are aware of this, and while they remain consistent in their efforts, they also know how to recognize when things have gotten out of balance. The sooner you’re able to spot this, the easier it usually is to correct. If your stress levels are through the roof, things are falling through the cracks at work, or personal relationships are feeling difficult to maintain, these are all good signs a recalibration might be in order.

What does a healthy work-life balance look like for you? Like I said, there’s not just one definition that works for everyone. Finding what that balance means for you is the real key to success here. Are there any strategies you use to help maintain the balance? I’d love to hear your thoughts!