I’m trying to get more work-life balance and after recently reading The Janitor (at the suggestion of my buddy Ray Griffin), I’ve had some good time of reflection and readjustment. It’s helped me frame some things in my life that have been spiraling out of control and causing me and our business problems.
I’m a fix-it-right-now-and-move-on kind of guy. When big problems creep up, I want to act fast and decisively. I don’t like situations that linger on because they end up rattling around inside of me and eventually cause frustration and anger.
In the midst of this life evaluation, I thought I’d share the three areas (worded as questions) that I’ve identified as symptoms of an unbalanced life:
- Are you getting mad at people and situations without reasonable cause? Evaluate from here … start with your wife, then your dog, then random drivers on the road. If you’re unnecessarily getting mad at those people, something’s wrong.
- Are things out of your control ruining your mood regularly? Face it, there are things in life you can’t control. Many things, in fact. Are the ones you have absolutely no control over causing you ulcers?
- Are your sleep patterns getting interrupted? If you waking up at 2 a.m. with your to-do list running through your brain, then getting to the office at 7, then staying until 7, problems are going to bubble up quickly if that’s your regular schedule.
If you’re dealing with these issues (you answered yes to them), I’d highly suggest getting The Janitor. It’s almost a play-by-play account of my life and I’ve found reassurance, perspective and clarity in reading it. It can be read in under 2 hours. The advice given is worth more than money and can only be measured in eternity.
Work life balance is always an issue when building a startup. Don’t expect balance at the beginning.
Here’s what Paul Graham has to say on startups:
I think this may be the sad truth, despite Tim Ferriss’s pretty lies.