A little vacation in everyday
February 28, 2009
This past November I had the pleasure of attending the second annual AZ Entrepreneurship Conference. The event was spectacularly run, and had some phenomenal speakers. During one breakout session Ian Lopatin, the co-founder of At One Yoga and Spiritual Gangster (two local companies), spoke about his experience with the high speed world of corporate entertainment law and how that led him to start the above companies. At one point in his talk, he mentioned the critical importance of “a little vacation in everyday.”
Predictably, this statement generated some chuckles among the crowd, most of whom were early-stage entrepreneurs embroiled in the long nights of their newest company. Admittedly, I laughed as well. However, I believe that this mantra is lost today (especially in today’s economy).
Too often, entrepreneurs in the trenches sacrifice their well-being for their company. While there may be a time for this, 14 hour days are unsustainable for months on end. Although it may seem an impossible hurdle due to imminent deadlines, or other pressing concerns, taking even just one hour per day for a physical activity (potentially even with a spouse or girlfriend), can do wonders for your start up.
I find that my “little vacation” provides significant value for my body and my start up. For one it provides perspective, and allows my mind to move away from the nitty-gritty of the daily grind. Secondly, some of my greatest epiphanies have come immediately following the activity. I attribute this to my mind and body being drained of tension and energy, thus making room for new ideas. Finally, lapsing into a completely sedentary existence is all too easy during these long days. The “business lunches” can creep up on you quickly, and I am sorry to point out that there is no proven correlation between a growing waistline, and a growing bottom line.
So, my recommendation is that entrepreneurs should find some activities to do on a regular basis that provide them with an escape from the nose to the grindstone reality of entrepreneurship (early-stage especially). Ideally, the activity should be somewhat meditative, in order to exhaust not only your body, but to clear your mind as well. That said, I really enjoy rock climbing (I can be found at AZ on the Rocks in Scottsdale on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, join me sometime), yoga (Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the rock gym), and cycling. Ultimately, it can be anything. From running, to simply an hour of meditation. Try it, I am sure you will be glad that you did!
Any thoughts?
