Last week, we had a riveting conversation about the fact that, well, entrepreneurs probably don’t have as much free time as everyone thinks.
It’s so funny, really — most of us who get into this lifestyle start with the intention of working less than we did at our 9-to-5. But the reality is, we usually end up doing WAY more because we simply love the projects we’re involved with.
Still, the long hours can take their toll — and I have to admit, I’m no exception.
So how do I keep it all together? Let’s take a look at my calendar from this week:
Each block is a meeting — so you’ll notice that I have 12 meetings scheduled this week. All things considered, a pretty light week.
But here’s something to consider: Each meeting isn’t “self-contained”. It usually requires that I come with something prepared, or demands some type of mental work before/after.
Each meeting extends beyond itself on both sides by SEVERAL hours. Sometimes days.
Oh yeah. And did I mention that some of these meetings are face-to-face? If you’ve ever experienced the absolute hellhole that is Los Angeles traffic, you know why that’s a problem.
I actually grabbed this from teens.drugabuse.gov. But the sentiment is EXACTLY the same.
That means with the exception of Thursday, essentially every day this week is full. Hmm. Not quite the Tim Ferriss LaLa Land we’d all dreamt of.
Have you ever felt like every minute of your day is monopolized by something that needs to get done?
Yeah. Me too. And I’m not complaining. In fact, I’m not worried about it — because I do 3 thing every day that make it much easier to avoid the burnout that schedules like this often cause.
1.) Become an early riser.
There was a period of time in my life before I hit 26 year mark where I thought it was cool to stay up late into the night and early the next morning trying to get things done. That time has passed. I cannot do it anymore.
I really wanted to be a night owl. But unfortunately, I’ve come to realize that all 8 hour periods just aren’t created equally.
Going to bed at 10pm and waking up at 6 or 7am is EXPONENTIALLY better than going to bed at 3am and waking up at 10 or 11am — even thought the time frame is the same.
I’ve tested this over and over again — and the evidence is pretty clear: I don’t perform well if I stay up past 11pm-ish. Early risers really do have a distinct advantage when it comes to mental clarity, acuity and energy.
I’ve had to give myself a bedtime and be my own parent by ruthlessly enforcing it — which is harder than it seems, becuase I’ve been programmed to stay up late for so many years.
2.) Start each day with an intention, focus or meditation.
I’ve never been one for the “woo-woo” phenomenons, but I will tell you this: Starting your day with a clear idea of what you want to do changes EVERYTHING.
Have you ever had a day where as soon as you woke up, there were already missed calls, text messages and emails screaming for your attention — and you felt like you were struggling to stay afloat before breakfast?
Oh, that sounds like every day, you say? That needs so stop.
Sometimes I like to meditate and really get into it. You know, cross-legged, a candle, some nice music in my ridiculous Beats headphones. Can you see me now, my hairy legs practically levitating off the carpet?
But other times, all that is too much. If I’m not in the mood to “dig deep”, I’ll just take 10 quick breaths, think about my main objectives for the day, and then get moving. This seems too simple to have an effect, but it’s not. If you’re used to getting up already in battle mode, then you’ve probably forgotten how it feels to have a moment to yourself.
Take a few of those minutes back and refocus yourself. It really helps.
3.) Physical activity. Do it.
Working out is probably the highest leverage tool I have in my arsenal that can make me feel predictably better and keeps me both physically and emotionally healthy year round. If you want to have the mental energy to take on a large workload, and you have a full calendar of to-do’s that people want from you — you have to be in the gym.
Period.
Training myself physically not only gives me benchmarks to hit on a regular basis, but it also creates a predictable backbone in my daily life that I can count on, even if everything goes wrong. Mentally, that’s very comforting.
And this should be mentally comforting for you…
That’s me pulling 485 
I’ve since gotten 495.
Do you have “staples” in your day?
I just told you the 3 things that I use every single day to get more out of myself and consistently feel more energized.
What are some things YOU do every day (or want to do) that make you feel energized and happy?
Leave a comment and let me know!!
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