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<\/a><\/p>\nOkay, we kind of cheat in this regard, but we like to think we\u2019d get up early even if our youngest wasn\u2019t up by 5:30 a.m. And because the rest of the crew is usually up by 6 a.m., we can get a lot done in the first half of the day. We could absolutely do better though, and actually aspire to be more like Jock Willink. Have you heard of Willink? He wrote Extreme Ownership<\/a>, which you should read, and he regularly posts his \u201cI just woke up so I\u2019m working out\u201d time on Instagram (it\u2019s usually 4:3 something); check him out: @jockowillink<\/a>. Crazy, but we bet that dude gets a heck of a lot more done in a day than just about everybody.<\/p>\n If you ask our third child what her favorite activity is, she\u2019ll respond with an exuberant, \u201cFAMILY DINNER!\u201d And it doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, snack time, or dinner. She is adamant that we eat together. She\u2019s smart! We really try our best to eat together whenever we are all home together, and probably hit at least one time a day–a time where it\u2019s mandatory that phones and videos are not in the vicinity (and that means no Instagram stories and no Paw Patrol<\/em>, Doc McStuffins<\/em>, or Coyote Peterson<\/a> YouTube vids). This is an essential component in our day because we need that connection time with one another, to recharge and check in.<\/p>\n We\u2019re always prepared to get a bit flamed by colleagues who think it\u2019s crazy that we don\u2019t have a separate office in our home. But we don\u2019t really have a work space that is separate from the family, just a computer in the kitchen area and a laptop, which is our mobile work station. We like it this way and have it set up this way on purpose (so don\u2019t freak out). It\u2019s our style because, while we believe task-orientation is a necessary part of running a business and while there are times we need to be ultra-focused so we can meet a deadline, our style is to stay close and throw on the headphones. Come to think of it, as we prep to open a full-on brick and mortar studio in the next year, we can\u2019t imagine that our crew won\u2019t be tagging along as we \u201cgo to work.\u201d That\u2019s just how we roll, bro.<\/p>\n Anyone who runs a business knows that you have to have goals, tasks for employees, etc. We totally get that. But we\u2019ve had our fair share of feeling badly for ourselves because we just didn\u2019t get enough done in a day. These days, our routine (with no hard-and-fast time schedule) is basically: get up, spend solo time with the Lord\/workout\/get in some outside time, eat breakfast, work\/school, eat lunch, more work\/school, eat dinner, get in some outside time, get the kids to bed, and finish whatever work needs to get done, which will typically be phone calls because the house has fallen pretty quiet by the early evening. Easy, right? \ud83d\ude42 . It really is easy, actually. And it 100 percent depends upon our attitudes and perspective. We set 2 or 3 tasks for the day and get cracking!<\/p>\n Maybe \u201cgoofing off\u201d isn\u2019t the best term to use, but we work hard \u2026 so we like to play hard. Nothing is more re-energizing than shucking our responsibilities for the day and taking the kids to the museum, spending a non-wedding Saturday at the lake, or skipping a night of work for family movie night and a 7-person sleepover in the kids\u2019 playroom.<\/p>\n How do we balance work and family, esp. given everything that\u2019s on our plate? There is no easy answer to that. Some days we rock it; many days we don\u2019t. But we love each other, and love conquers all! That said, photography, especially wedding photography, is a very involved, all-in kind of business that can consume every waking hour of the day. We\u2019ve been there and that gives us loads of empathy for photographers who are struggling to make a full-time go of their business.<\/p>\n So, here\u2019s the deal: you could read tons of books and ask every photographer you know how the heck they do it. But you need to be you, and that takes some experimentation, a bunch of soul searching, and a whole lot of good old fashioned backyard freeze tag.<\/p>\n How do you balance your business with the time you\u2019d like to spend with your family? We\u2019d love to chat; leave a comment below!<\/p>\n2. We eat together.<\/h5>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n3. We have dedicated work spaces.<\/h5>\n
<\/a><\/a>4. We have a routine (sort of) \u2026<\/h5>\n
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5. We break our routine (often)!<\/h5>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nConclusion<\/h5>\n
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