The Business Balance With Alex Olsen, Violet Gray
Alexandra Olsen is the founder of Violet Gray, a local jewellery label from the Gold Coast. From journalist, yacht stewardess to now beading extraordinaire, she aims to take over the world, one intention at a time. A natural seeker, she spends her days creating jewels and questioning this crazy life we lead.Consumed by your business? As I sit here attempting to recommend how to strike a healthy work/life balance, it is 9.34pm on a Sunday night and I am… working. I ate dinner on the run, my skin is still salty from an afternoon swim, I’ve been dealing with a range launch, website dilemmas and also squeezing in time for that important social media update.Sound familiar? Life as a business owner and/or an entrepreneur is not all long lunches, extended holidays and afternoon naps. Some have achieved this lifestyle (and high-fives to you) but for a large percentage of us, this is not the reality of our work-day.The thing is: work isn’t separate from my life. Work is a passion. So how do we find this illustrious balance, or at least operate with more moments of sanity, nourishment, separation and fun?Here are my hot 10 tips: 1. Start your day with fresh air. Or stillness. Ask yourself: What will help me walk into my day with more clarity and presence?2. Exercise. Eat breakfast with your lover or family. Savour a solo coffee before you turn your screens on. Enjoy your morning, if only for 10 minutes.3. Prioritise. Break your day into your top 3 tasks. When you look at the big picture, you will feel overwhelmed. Break it down to the top 3, and feel accomplished instead.
“Get comfortable being ‘imperfect’ - it will give you more space for living a more present and balanced life.”
4. Get comfy with schedules and structure. Commit to a certain clock-off time: set the amount of hours you will work. (And stick to your agreements!)5. Create space in your life. What can you eliminate in order to have more balance and more time?6. Learn to say NO. Stop living your life to please others. Not everybody will love you for this, but it’s your life and you’ll be more fulfilled when you are not wasting time on what can feel like obligations.7. Don’t put your happiness on hold. What small actions or moments can you bring into your day that will make you feel good?8. Don’t forget the people you love. Schedule time to hang with family/friends/lovers.9. Pause often and reassess. Examine your life regularly and take a moment to feel. Through personal assessment we grow.10. Let go of perfection! Get comfortable being ‘imperfect’ - it will give you more space for living a more present and balanced life.You can find Alexandra at www.violetgraydesign.com/@violetgraydesign