How do you balance life and work when you are self-employed?

I agree with a lot of the replies, time management is really important.  You are putting in a lot of work because there is a lot of tasks.  But, as you said, working late at night even to 1AM - 2AM does not provide a relief, as there is more, more tasks the next day.  So, establish a time schedule, "work - family - self".  Why, because the time you are (possibly) depriving your kids/family will contribute to a "regret" in your later life - "You wish You Had Spent More Time As The Kids Grew Up - You Missed An Important Part Of Their Life".  An issue is "When you are older (retired or medical condition), will they have time for you?"

I've been in business for 22 years and initially worked out of my house. When I realized that I could never escape my work since it was always so accessible, I decided to move the business in a location. Not only did this help me grow significantly, but it helped me separate personal life from business. I certainly will bring my laptop home from some work on occasion, but for the most part, I have committed to keeping work at work, and home at home. This has helped me and my family through the years.

I do understand the temptation and drive to work late so that it may lessen somewhat the work load the next day, but as you’ve said yourself, there’s still more work piling on.

So my best answer is to make a very strong conscious decision to finish work by a specific time each evening . Only you can determine what that real time for you should be in order to allow some personal/family time. 

One needs to learn to be aware that there is time for everything, so it boils down to time management and how you choose to prioritize your time to get to that balance of  Life/Work that satisfies you. 

Set a schedule, write it down and stick to it. 

Good luck 

Will I will tell you the truth. If I have a real answer to that question I would a genius. But here is what I learned a long time ago that you can work your life away and all you will get at the end of the day is another job completed. Your time with family will never be able to come back around. I stopped working on weekends and make sure that I meet with new customer during the day and not after 5 pm. Now saying that I do at some points have to work outside of that and I have done that over the pass 6 weeks as I was working on a full Bathroom remodel at my house and I was not able to work it like a regular job as I wanted to keep current and new customers happy and not get behind. If you are doing great work customers will wait for you and if you just keep them informed. I do my very best to keep a open line of communication with my customers at all times even if it is something that I think they do not want to hear. It is better to be up front with them than to tell them something that you can not live up to. Sometimes we have good intension and things don't work out and you might need to tell someone that you can not get there tomorrow. Be up front with them and tell them even if it hurts. I have found out the truth is the truth and I do not have to change it and it will last a life time. Try to not over work all the time as you will get burned out and that is not good for anyone. I have been in this remodeling business for over 30 years and we can always over work if we want to. Remember God first. Family second and work third. You need a good Balance. I hope this has helped you in some way.    

So funny you asked that question.  I too had that exact issue and unfortunately, I failed miserably at having balance in my life.  I had a wellness center I loved but everything else took a back seat.  I can honestly say I believe that business is the easy part being an leader is the hardest because we lose our identity and it becomes all we are and know.  So for this very reason is why I am now coaching people how to have balance in every area life. Relationships ,kids , finances having the right mindset and seeing it from a new perspective.   I am equipping leaders on how to have a balanced life.  I now have figured it out and I want to help others as well.  

Great question. I schedule personal things on my calendar just like appointments. For example, when my son was young and playing baseball, I would schedule his games on my calendar just like I would a client. I also recommend tackling the most important tasks early so they do not get out of hand and consume your personal time with your family. 

There's no easy answer, but I will say it depends on the urgency of your short-term goals and deadlines. Sometimes you have to put your head down and plow through daily tasks for however long it takes. No one will understand, but you know what needs to be done. Other times you'll have more leeway and can pace yourself on tasks, take regular breaks, schedule things like a more normal work schedule. If you feel it's out of control, hire someone and delegate. Interns can use the experience but cost little to nothing. At the end of the day, it's your baby. But you have to find a sweet spot so you don't lose yourself, your business or your family. ALWAYS steal a few hours for yourself from each week to breathe, meditate, or do absolutely nothing. None of it works without you, and you must have a clear head. You are your biggest business asset. Hope that helps. 

You have to make "office hours" for yourself and keep them. That's it. Set your alarm on your phone 15 to 20 minutes before your end time so you have time to wrap up and organize

When you work for self you will either overwork or under work. It is a challenge to strike and maintain a healthy balance. What can you do? Think about what matters most and develop a plan of work. Devise a list of things to accomplish so you will be able to see and know where you are, what you want to get done, and when its completed.
Determine a begin and end time for your work day and don't forget to include breaks for rest and rejuvenation.
Discover and utilize ways to work smarter than harder. If you can get qualified help from time to time delegate some of your workload and give thanks!
When all is thought and done always remember You Are Head, In Charge, and so...Must Set Boundaries and  Hold Self Accountable, BUT maintaining a healthy work-life balance is possible!

I have been an entrepreneur for 40 years.  Your business can consume you. I found it beneficial to have partners so that you can split the load.  Still, when I go on holidays I call them “Workations”, not “Vacations”.   I am still in touch with what is going on, but not being present at the office give time to clear the mind and relax.  I am also able to work in some family time and activity time.  An understanding spouse is also helpful.  If you are going to be an entrepreneur get used to the idea that it’s not a job.  It’s a passion.  Most entrepreneurs are motivated by challenge.  Money is the measure of success.  There is no shame if it is not right for you.  Hope this helps.  Good Luck!