Agree with those who matter when work finishes this week

Do not take work home at least 3 times a week.

What do you mean you’re struggling
at home, can’t you see I’m busy at work?

Boundaries matter, but what boundaries do you have? And with whose
agreement did you set them?

One realisation I had soon in to my self employment is that the family isn’t
there to enable me to go to work. If I don’t want to play up to stereotype and
stigma, I also shouldn’t be seen as the sole breadwinner. My ambition and
drive might direct me to be the primary income generator but that doesn’t
mean that role is superior to others in the household.

Too often in the early days of working for myself I would expect everything to
be done at home because I’m busy. But I wasn’t effectively communicating
this nor particularly clear in why I was out late again and what it was achieving.
I was missing bed times and meal times but was head down in attempting to
become the breadwinner.

It was the realisation that during a particular week I hadn’t been home in time
for bed more than once, and I wasn’t busy doing anything too productive.
I wanted to changed this and found it helpful to strike a balance through
conversation with those at home about what good might look like in the next
week.

When should work finish?
Can I get to the school run three times this week?
What work priorities do I have and do people at home know what and when
I will be doing?

Striking balance through agreement and expectation I found really beneficial
here. You can’t succeed in business by yourself. Nor can you succeed at
home or absolve yourself of responsibilities here either.