I always say that like romantic marriages, sometimes business marriages don’t work out.  That was exactly what happened to me in 2014.  While my partnership was unraveling, I was left with a choice of what to do next for my career – work at a different agency as someone’s right hand and risk being in the same place again in a few years or take the plunge and try to open my own company. With the support of my husband, I decided to be brave and try my hand at opening a business. The last 2.5 years have included laughter, tears, a crash course in accounting, traveling to places I’ve never been, and my first gray hair. Along the way, I’ve learned a few things that have kept me healthy, happy, and also, I believe, set up my business for long-term growth.

6 Things CEO Megan Driscoll Learned About Work-Life Balance In Her First Two Years of Business

1. Just Do It

The hardest thing about deciding to open a business is taking the leap of faith and doing it. Once you’ve done it, you are so busy with the day-to-day hustle that you forget to be afraid. If you’ve done your research and feel that you have a product, service and/or opportunity that will position you for long-term success, just do it. Once you’re in it, when the fear or nerves pop up again, use those feelings to drive you rather than hamper you.

2. Understand The Magic of Cash Flow

When you are building a business, it is easy to get focused on just increasing your revenue and forgetting that a successful business not only has great revenues but is managed correctly from an operations perspective. Staying on top of your accounts receivable and account payable, as well as making note of payment terms when you sign contracts with clients, will position you for success.

3. Learn to Love Your Back Office

It’s not sexy, but your accountant, bookkeeper, lawyer and IT people can be a great help or hindrance to your long-term growth. Spending time investing in getting the right systems and people in place will allow for organized growth rather than chaotic and stressful growth.

[RELATED: Four Temptations to Resist for a Better Work-Life Balance]

4. Exercise Is a Priority

I recently heard that not exercising for a business owner is basically the same as choosing stress and depression. Exercise, beyond the physical benefits, provides space away from the work and an opportunity to gain mental clarity. I make sure exercise happens by doing “appointment exercise” – I schedule all of my exercise for the month ahead and put it on my calendar.  This way, I plan around my exercise and prioritize it.  It’s not a perfect system since client emergencies happen, but doing it this way means I do it at least 80% of the time.  A calm, clear business owner is better for employees and clients.

5. Come From a Place of Abundance

It’s easy to lose perspective as an owner and see only the things you need to improve your company, your team, or yourself. I think being self-critical is inherent in every business owner’s DNA, but flip that and make it come from a place of abundance.  There’s always something to be grateful for or something to appreciate.   Your employees will pick up on that attitude as well and will approach their work with a positive, rather than negative attitude, which will, in turn, spread to customers that they engage with.

6. Don’t Forget That Life Happens

For yourself and your employees, no matter what the level of intensity is in your business at the moment, life is still happening around you.  It’s important not to miss it and it’s important to give those moments in life their fair due.  Whether it’s marriage, a baby, or unfortunately, tragedy, all of those things will happen to people in your business. Ensure that everyone (including yourself) understands they have the opportunity to celebrate or mourn those moments fully, and work will not collapse without them.