Their non-stop complaint about your work lifestyle doesn't mean they don't have your best interest at heart. ..
Concentrating too much on work could put a strain on your family relationship especially if you are married with children.
Your personal business could be sabotaged by your loved ones (but not on purpose) if you have little or no work-life balance. Their non-stop complaint about your work lifestyle doesn't mean they don't have your best interest at heart, in fact they do and are concerned. But these things can demoralize and make you less motivated towards achieving your work goals.
Nomalanga Mhlauli-Moses of The Mocha Moguls two common complaints from family members and how you can handle them:
Time. When you choose to live the unconventional life of an entrepreneur, there are many challenges and twists and turns along the way that many people who have “9 to 5″ jobs just don’t face. One of those challenges can be your work hours or the times that you work. With most jobs, when you leave the job, you leave work so when you work from home most or all of the time, it can be hard to draw boundaries between work time and “home” time. If you have children, you may get some complaints that you are working instead of doing something for them or with them. You may even get a similar complaint from your spouse. One way to reduce complaints related to time is to carve out time for yourself when you can get some work done without your loved ones feeling like they are being neglected. Some Moms love the peace and quiet before everyone wakes up. If you do your best work in the morning, wake up earlier and get some work done. If you’re not a morning person, maybe you can get some work done after everyone goes to sleep. Whichever way you choose to do it, make the effort to get a lot of your work done at specific and predetermined times and do so consistently so that there is a balance between work time and “home” time. If your spouse works and your kids go to school, that can can be a great way to carve out work time and then when they come home, you can put down the laptop, or whatever gadget, and paperwork and give them your love and attention.
Money. Most entrepreneurs know that there are times when you are spending a lot of time, energy and money on your business and it is just not paying off (not immediately, anyway). Sometimes, especially in the beginning, a business can seem to be just draining all your bank accounts and all your savings. Even though you may have a vision, a goal and a plan, that may not be clear to your loved ones, especially your spouse. It is very important to have a conversation with your loved ones to help them understand why you’re doing what you’re doing. Make sure you let them know that they are your priority and they are loved and then also help them see the benefits and rewards of your work. This is a conversation that needs to be had more than once; it is ongoing. Share your vision and ask your loved ones for their support and encouragement and if possible, ask them to help you. Remember the saying: “teamwork makes the dream work”.
Bonus – Checking in. Another way to reduce complaints is to check in with your loved ones constantly and consistently. Running your own business can be very consuming, at times, especially when you are going after a very specific and challenging goal. Sometimes we, entrepreneurs “forget” everything else. Ask your loved ones what you can do to please them or make their lives easier. It can be a simple question like “how can I make your day more enjoyable, today” or “Is there anything you need me to help you with/do for you today?”. When you get your answer, (assuming it’s a reasonable request) be prepared to follow through and deliver!
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