Why Prioritizing Your Family Is Good for Your Business

For the longest time, many people have wondered what the equation is for the perfect work-life balance that experts, psychologists, and family advocates keep talking about. We’ve seen countless people and heard even more stories about how their lives have been destroyed just because they put work on top of family. You probably know a couple or two who have been brought a court summons by a process server for divorce in a family court. You might also know someone whose children became rebellious because dad or mom was always at work. While there’s nothing wrong with working hard and giving your best at the workplace, it should never take the place of our families. For us to avoid these tragedies, we need to show our family that they are our priority. You’d be surprised at how making them your top priority is also good for work and business, as counter-intuitive as it might seem.

1. It makes you more successful holistically.

Contrary to what you’re thinking, focusing on your family can help you concentrate better at work. Studies show how people who take the time to unwind and recharge with their loved ones seem to perform better at work than those who don’t. Business leaders from Harvard Business School have found that success at work and family life is not an either/or situation. Giving a little more importance to your family can help you succeed.

2. It allows you to be more focused and productive at work.

When you learn to prioritize your family, you’re also forced to prioritize things at work. This means that you get to eliminate work noise and focus on the essential things. Doing this allows you to create more time to plan and think ahead, develop better strategies, and carefully carry out practical solutions to different work and business concerns. Because you don’t want to miss out on quality family time, you are forced to do your best at work.

3. It can help you earn better.

In a survey done by Credit Loan, they have found that Gen X-ers and millennials who prioritized their families made more money compared to those who made work and business their top priority. Their stats showed that Gen X-ers who made more time for their families brought home an additional $8,000 each year while millennials made an extra $4,000 a year. Given the motivation people who focus on work have, seeing how spending more time with family can earn them more money should get them to ask themselves if what they’re doing is worth it, right?

4. It allows you to enjoy work more.

Changing the way you look at family and work can also affect how you feel in those settings. Once you realize the value of family and what they mean to you, you start to see work as a privilege to be enjoyed rather than a responsibility to endure. A slight shift in thinking can give you the right motivation to enjoy work for the blessing that it is, for without it, you will have a hard time providing for your family’s needs. Changing old habits and rewiring our mindsets seems like a daunting task. However, there is plenty of help available for those who sincerely want to change. Learning to prioritize family over work and business might not be as easy for a lot of people. Still, those who are serious about it can always seek help from counselors, therapists, and mentors. They can help show you how to reframe your thoughts and reorder your priorities. It will be hard at the beginning, but the trade-offs are worth it.