I have a toddler so some of this balance comes by default - but I have some other things: - being a present and active mother is important to me, therefore if my son is sick, I will be home with him no questions asked. This is nonnegotiable and I cancel anything I have that day to be with him. - If I have to work on a weekend, then I will carve out a specific time and get everything urgent done, then turn off the rest of the weekend. - I prioritize physical health and make appointments in my calendar to do so to ensure that work doesn't get in the way - I also look for other ways to optimize my time to ensure that I can connect with friends and family (for example: prepping freezer meals!)

@Simon Fallows let me tell you about a life hack I accidentally discovered! In December last year I spent a couple days making freezer meals to try and spent less time making meal plans/grocery lists/cooking/cleaning up, etc. All I did was pick a few meals and then I doubled or tripled the recipe, and froze in portions. I thought this would last maybe 2 months - it lasted 7 months! In the last 7 months we have: - saved 60% on our monthly grocery spend - reduced the amount of food wasted - saved countless hours in prepping/cooking/and cleaning - reduced clutter in our cupboards and kitchen because we need less dishes to cook with - less clutter = less to clean = more mental space This means that we can have a healthy meal on our plates in about 15 minutes, one we are excited about eating, with minimal cleanup, which means that we get to spend maximum time as a family before we start the bedtime routine. Complete game changer for us!

I would say we're probably at a 5-6 - definitely heading in the right direction!

Hi! Im Kristen - founder and CEO of Grantsimple. We write grant applications for charities and nonprofits across the country. The industry itself is a bit of a wild ride, compounded by the wild ride of entrepreneurship! Lots of fun and wouldn't trade it for anything. Looking forward to connecting in this community!