The trick is to get them to meet

MW

 

If he's single he does that enough himself.

 

Well I used to work in IT, and her as a journalist but in 2014 we both quit our jobs and bought a hotel in the Yorkshire Dales!

 

You miss the point.

Boundaries are fine.

Being totalitarian and uncompromising is not.

 

this is generally my thoughts as well and the way I work. Flexible hours, client driven etc which is great for pick up/drop off kids etc etc

Downside can be that the wife doesn't sometimes understand that just cause I'm at home, I'm not here to do the washing/pick ups/drop offs/shopping/cleaning etc etc all day. I work hard from home, I sometimes just want to get out the house in the evenings for a cycle or gym as I've woke up/worked/eaten in the house for 10/12 hours that day.

 

My wife struggled a fair bit, especially when I was away like a third of last year. It's tough when there are 3 kids at home too. I don't think she really "got" it, like why I do it and that it needs to be done etc.
That is until recently and she's setting up business on her own and has been working all nights and I looked at her when I had a quiet night and was like, oh so you're working all night are you? We always communicate with each other though. That's the main thing.

 

My other half is generally great.
She can see the upsides and tbh it means she doesn't have to work much.

As others have mentioned the flexible time/days off are good, but I also sometimes have to go to work or work at night & on holidays at the most inconvenient times.
She didn't even moan when I spent most of one holiday in the hotel room on the phone/laptop as it was a project that would guarantee that good holidays would continue & it just happened it had to be sorted at that time.
She worked for me though so I guess she knew what it would be like.

 

Sleeping with the staff eh ? haha

 

Those with soft boundaries get manipulated and end up as door mats. DND me when I am working unless it's an emergency is sensible, totalitarian or not.

 

Being uncompromising in a relationship is tantamount to emotional abuse.

No one is suggesting you roll over for every want, but refusing to listen to your partner or worse, completely dismissing their concerns in a bid to be 'alpha' is incredibly toxic and unhealthy.

You reap what you sow.

 

Of course you should listen to your business partner. In the case of working from home not being disturbed by your wife/girlfriend with non serious issues is sensible, totalitarian, emotionally abusive, fascist, keanuphobic or not.

 

The wife stays at home and the girlfriends all live in different towns/cities...?

 

It really was not easy when I was self employed. I spent over half the year away from my wife and when we where together the phone would go off all the time.

Ended up divorced, jacked it in now and I'm in paid employment. It was a fun ride but took too much out of me.

 

This is a problem for many professionals, not just self-employed. In fact if you are self-employed you have ultimate control over how long you work, that is one of the biggest attractions to set your own work-life balance.

For people that work a lot here are my hints:
1) get a GF/wife who is In a similar position with long work weeks. Not only is there mutual understanding but since you are both so busy it's not like she is sat at home at 7pm wondering when you will get home from the office, she'll be sat in her office and you will both enjoy the the time you have together much more, rather than lazing about on the sofa getting drunk watching netflix.
2) relationships are about compromises, you will have to compromise personal time or work time, and your partner will compromise tighter time. If neither of you are willing to compromise it won't work.
3) priorities, yes you have to work long and hard but ultimately family comes first.
4) work-life balance. Yeah,this means different things for professionals and some self-employed vs the 9-5 crowd, but 80hour weeks are not sustainable and not healthy. Finances and career progression are strong driving forces but eventually you will realize time not working is more valuable than time Working. Working 70hours a week for 100k a year vs 40hours a week for 60k, take into account taxes and the latter can seem much more attractive. If you are working insane hours and not getting that compensation (e.g. Some self-employed doing 70-80hour weeks for 20-30k) then WTF, you work insane hours to get insane pay otherwise work at mcdonalds and soon you will be store manager earning more and working less.

 

Quicklime. Patio.

 

I employ an illegal to do my work whilst I reap the rewards..........
LOL.
Not really but I bet a many do and I suppose that I will get investigated after this post

I don't have a gf which helps in my line of work but if I did then I wouldn't have a gf for the long term.
I hope that helps