I've been pouring in the 16 hour days for a year now and executing well, but neglecting any sort of balance in my life. All the added stress has made me neglect my family and definitely eliminated any personal time.
I decided to do something about it in June.
Exercise has made a big impact. I started running almost every morning and logging 20M+ weekend mountain bike rides. I've realized that you need to keep your cardio strong and your physique honed or the lifestyle will simply make you pudgy and listless. Great Founders know how to eat right, work out right, and feel right. This is like running a marathon, so you must live your life like a marathon runner. I've also heard that its good to do some sport where you can hit something. Tennis, boxing, hockey, or martial arts, let you hit something hard and get the negative energy out.
I used to stay up working until 3 or 4am quite regularly but now walk away from my computer by 1AM so that I can get at least 6 hours of sleep. I think sleep deprivation is a reality for most startup entrepreneurs.
If you really want to mess your life up, forget to put your family in the balance. This is your most important asset and precious responsibility. Make sure you focus here and not only give them dedicated time, but meaningful time. I reinstated date night with my wife and I'm trying to make an effort to balance things out in general.
Comments
I've been pouring in the 16 hour days for a year now and executing well, but neglecting any sort of balance in my life. All the added stress has made me neglect my family and definitely eliminated any personal time.
I decided to do something about it in June.
Exercise has made a big impact. I started running almost every morning and logging 20M+ weekend mountain bike rides. I've realized that you need to keep your cardio strong and your physique honed or the lifestyle will simply make you pudgy and listless. Great Founders know how to eat right, work out right, and feel right. This is like running a marathon, so you must live your life like a marathon runner. I've also heard that its good to do some sport where you can hit something. Tennis, boxing, hockey, or martial arts, let you hit something hard and get the negative energy out.
I used to stay up working until 3 or 4am quite regularly but now walk away from my computer by 1AM so that I can get at least 6 hours of sleep. I think sleep deprivation is a reality for most startup entrepreneurs.
If you really want to mess your life up, forget to put your family in the balance. This is your most important asset and precious responsibility. Make sure you focus here and not only give them dedicated time, but meaningful time. I reinstated date night with my wife and I'm trying to make an effort to balance things out in general.