Being organized and creating healthy habits of consistency can help you balance and prioritize the demands of your business and personal life. These 8 habits are a great start to being present in your business and personal life WITHOUT burning the candle at both ends.

1. Schedule your days in advance - Use your calendar to schedule the majority of your meetings, calls, breaks, and other events in advance can help you stay focused throughout the day. If you are working on a project that requires long stretches of uninterrupted time, then blocking out those hours to accomplish just one task will make it much more likely for you to complete it successfully. As a CEO going into your day without a game plan can lead to you being scattered, less productive, and working more hours than you desire or plan to.
 

2. Keep a to-do list for the week and prioritize items on it - We all have tasks and things we need to complete on a one-off basis. And for most of us, we remember them at the most inopportune times (like just when you finally settle into bed). Making a list of these things is a good way to make sure that you have a clear handle on where to focus your time AND what you actually need to delegate to your team.
 

3. Keep a running list of personal tasks that need to be completed, and prioritize - Listing your personal needs and tasks are just as important as listing and prioritizing your business tasks, because, without your personal life in order, you won’t be able to function at the highest level for your business.
 

4. Prioritize what's most important first, then work down the list - For your business, that could be getting through a backlog of emails. For your personal life, it might be spending quality time with friends and family members.
 

5. Be mindful to take breaks throughout the day - Breaks are important for both business and personal activities because they allow you to re-focus on what's important at the moment. Make time for yourself - don't feel guilty about taking breaks or vacations!

6. Be proactive with your family - set up playdates, plan meals together, etc. - Quality time with family is an important part of life that doesn't need to be sacrificed in order to grow your business. Take some time each week to plan something fun for your family - it'll pay off when you have great memories with them, AND in the future when they remember you being present instead of absent.

7. Balance work life and personal life by scheduling business meetings during your set business hours when you're not as busy with home/personal responsibilities - If you are in the process of growing your business, it might seem difficult to set specific working hours. But having standard operating hours is crucial to creating a balance that allows you to flourish in your business and your personal life. This will keep you from scheduling meetings with team members and clients during your business's off-hours, or close to "dinnertime". And creating this simple boundary can help you to stay productive in your business and even make it possible for you to still get home for dinner every day.
 

8. Set up an accountability system - Find some sort of accountability system where somebody is checking in on what you are accomplishing each day or week can help keep you accountable and focused on finishing tasks by specific deadlines so you can move on to the next task or goal.
 

Incorporating these habits into your daily routine will help you feel more in control of your time, and allow you to manage both aspects of your life better. And that can certainly make it easier for you to prioritize what's most important at any given moment. To learn more about CEO habits that are sure to help you keep your priorities straight, visit our blog regularly for new posts helping CEOs to be more productive, profitable, and present in their lives.