Christina’s Guide for a Great Work-Life Balance

Starting a new business is a lot of work, and house flipping isn’t an exception to the rule. But that doesn’t mean you have to devote your whole life to the real estate investing business. In fact, I’ve found that keeping balance between work and leisure time with friends and family is a huge factor in making our house flips so successful. Sure, we butt heads about some details, but Tarek and I love working together.

Without a good work-life balance, though, we definitely wouldn’t be excited to get up every morning and go hunt down deals, bid on properties, and take on rehabs together. So here are a few of the things I think every real estate investor should do to keep a great work-life balance.

Create a Morning Routine That You Love

House flipping can get pretty hectic, even when you’re working together. You have to find leads and follow up on them, call sellers about viewings and walk-throughs, check the MLS and auction listings, make offers and bid on properties at auctions . . . and that’s not even counting the work you’ll need to do once you get to the rehab process.

To get your head in the game and be prepared for success, you have to start the day the right way. I like getting up a little bit early so that I have time to make coffee and breakfast and spend time with Tarek and our kids. After everyone’s up and dressed, we can eat together and start to wake up in a fun, relaxed family environment. That way we’re all ready to face the day when it’s time to head out the door.

Keep Work in the Office

If you’re flipping houses, you’re almost definitely going to bring your work home. This is the biggest trap for entrepreneurs and real estate investors because it breaks down the wall between “work life” and “home life.” But you can put that wall back in place by creating a home office and keeping all of your work in there.

That way, when it’s time to clock out for the day, you won’t be as tempted to keep working in front of the TV or at the dining room table. If you have a designated place where you work, it’s a lot easier to stop working and go join your family in the evenings.

Make Exercise a Part of Your Daily Schedule

If you keep up with my Flip or Flop Baby Diaries blog, then you know that I’m really passionate about health and fitness. Throughout my pregnancy with Brayden, I did yoga and practiced meditation to keep my body and mind in a good place. Of course, with so much going on with our show, our flips, and our Success Path Education workshops, I had to make sure to schedule in my exercise and make it a priority each day.

Setting aside thirty minutes to an hour a day for exercise will help you feel more awake and will give you more energy to be really productive. And you’ll find that you feel a lot happier and more relaxed, even when you’re dealing with difficult work or stressful tasks. Also, you can do yoga with your kids, which adds a little bonus family time into your day.

As you start your house flipping business, remember that your mental and physical health are just as important to your flips as great deals and meeting deadlines. If you maintain a good work-life balance like this, your real estate investing business will be even more successful.