Thoughts of the Week: May 24, 2024
You Are the Machine.
Work will often consume the time you allow it. Give it 60+ hours, and there is plenty to do to fill that space - there is always more to do. But (like it or not) we are humans, and being able to push hard, means that the machine you’re got has to be maintained and taken care of. Your body, your health, and being able to periodically let off steam.
You are the machine that fuels your success. Use this as a reminder to take care of it before your body forces you to.
Most of the people I work with feel like it will never happen to them, but I’ve seen heart attacks, health issues, and other things that end up happening because people will push themselves to the limit.
This isn’t about taking it easy, this is really about making sure you are pulling up the right areas so you can keep moving at pace for the long game.
As much as you dedicate to your work - take a piece of time, and be sure you are taking care of the machine that drives everything else.
Take a step back, evaluate your habits and if you’re really preserving the one thing that makes everything else possible.
If you need to, this is a good time to re-read “Sharpen Your Axe.”…and take the time necessary to keep yourself working at your best. You demand it of your output, start thinking of your inputs. Change one habit this week to make your own machine a bit better for the long haul.
1. Focus up and get it done.
2. Building and running a business isn’t easy. Ben Horowitz sheds some light on those difficult moments any builder faces in his invaluable book The Hard Thing About Hard Things.
3. Face your problems head-on and reap the rewards.
Hard Thing About Hard Things is a great book. Side note: thanks for the reminder that you need to balance letting off steam and working hard
Spending some time maintaining this “machine” with good food, good rest and good exercise, will make you resilient and able to do high quality work.
So don’t feel guilty if you cut down on work to maintain the “machine”.