Hey Teren
I do have children, but I have been careful not to make sacrifices that I think have negatively impacted my personal life. At times I’ve earnt less money, sure and I have worked hard and been really stressed, but not to the point where my kids never see their Dad or we can’t eat! So I think there has to be a balance. Mark, my co-founder, has spoken openly about some of the mental health challenges he has faced running a business and how teaching exercise classes saved him. I honestly believe that unless you take care of your health (mental and physical) and make sure you are there for the people you love, then no amount of commercial success is worth it.
One advantage of being your own boss is that you get to decide how you spend your time and I would say you should fiercely protect that. Do the things that keep you sane and happy, and don’t feel guilty that, for example, going to the gym in the afternoon is what you need to do to get the best out of your day. In fact, once you embrace that, it makes being an entrepreneur much less of a ‘sacrifice’ than, say, putting up with a horrible boss!