During a recent conversation with a business owner, a key issue emerged: balancing the increasing demands of running a successful business with the desire to spend more time with family. He shared how, despite beginning the year with a goal of prioritizing family time, the continued growth of the business had led to working longer hours and increased workload.  As much as he wanted to shift the focus to family, he felt unable to making the changes required.

I pointed out his current mindset viewed time spent at work as inherently rewarding, where each additional hour yielded tangible, measurable results — higher sales, more clients and increased productivity. The immediate and quantifiable nature of these outcomes made investing time at work feel essential and fulfilling.

In contrast, time invested with family offers no such clear-cut short-term metrics.  The rewards from nurturing relationships and being present with loved ones are intangible and unfold over time, making them less immediately noticeable and satisfying.

To help the business owner shift focus, I discussed with him taking the following key steps:

1. Acknowledge there is a disparity between the ROI of work and home life.
2. Recognize the long-term benefits from investing in family time such as deeper, more meaningful family relationships and improved well-being.
3. Prioritize family activities as essential, treating them with the same importance as work tasks.
4. Accept that such investments while not yielding immediate results, will lead to profound lasting rewards.

By adjusting his mindset, the business owner will see time spent with family not as a sacrifice but as an investment – one that pays dividends over time in emotional fulfillment, stronger relationships and greater overall life satisfaction.