If you run a business, you know the constant pull between life at work and life with your family. But work-life balance doesn’t have to be a pipe dream; it can be a reality if you make the necessary changes. Dr. Elijah Desmond knows the struggle all too well, and while he started out as a dental practitioner, he now owns eleven businesses that soak up a significant amount of his time and attention. But Dr. Desmond discovered a methodology for bringing his best self to every aspect of his life. In the latest episode of the Progressive Dentist podcast, Dr. Desmond discusses his program in-depth and he shares tips for achieving work-life balance in your own lives.

Work-Life Balance

Block scheduling is one of the most important practices for time management. Just like any goal you set, good intentions are not enough. You have to plan out your strategy and execute it. Dr. Desmond explains that blocking out your day allows you to set concrete time aside for both your family and your business, and that is how you achieve the ideal balance. Regardless of the type of dentistry or how many days a week you’re working, you will benefit from blocking as long as you’re 100% committed. But blocking only takes care of one part of the equation.

Put on Your Oxygen Mask First

Blocking enables you to allocate time to your family and your business. However, when you’re building a business or raising a family, it is easy to forget about yourself. Dr. Desmond stresses that blocking will not be sustainable if you don’t make time to take care of yourself physically and mentally. For him, it is exercise and public speaking; the latter being his ‘why’ in life. He has lost over 70lbs since he started making time to worry about his needs, and he doesn’t need twenty-five hours in a day to do it. Dr. Desmond takes his personal time out of his work block and ironically, sacrificing that time has made him a more effective business leader anyways. As always, please visit me at www.theprogressivedentist.com for more informative podcast episodes with other remarkable business leaders.