Thoughtful. And here's something else to consider: squaring this circle has for me, and I think many, been SO much easier during the pandemic. We're not traveling, we're not at the office late, etc. It's been a blessing that has forced some rethinking and reprioritizing. The question is how will we return to "normal" life. What will we hold onto from this time. I've been thinking about that A LOT. No real answers yet, but feeling both excited and nervous about it...
Hey Curtis, thanks for taking the time to write. While I’m still single, I can relate to many points. I greatly value my friend and family relationships, and think a lot of these same trade offs can apply.
One thing I’ve tried that has been helpful in the past year is to establish a morning meditation routine. I find this helps me focus on being optimally present and also creates a sort of flexibility in the mind to “transition between modes” a bit more smoothly.
Some of the meditation apps have served me well in this pursuit, namely Calm, Headspace and FitMind. Hope it helps!
Hey Curtis. This really resonated, and felt timely. My wife gave me the, "when you're here, you're not really here" feedback through most of last year. It wasn't until this past holiday season that I really felt those words and was aptly broken up by them. We're only weeks into Jan, but I've been working on keeping a grip on my own mind during downtime.
For whatever one man's limited experience is worth ... I've concluded that switching gears quickly enough is only possible for me if I'm staying grounded throughout the day. So far the thing that's worked the best for me is cycling through a few grounding thoughts that I threw on a sticky note ... major theme being detachment from outcomes. Anyway, thanks for the much needed vulnerability and looking forward to more of you here!
Brother, such a tough struggle! I totally empathize and relate. Think these things come in phases, but it’s so tough to know how certain initiatives will play out sometimes...
Curtis, first - kudos for writing about this. It's hard for all-in, high achieving type-A founders like you to do. And I mean that in the best way! I agree that work-life balance as an entrepreneur is a myth. But like you say, I think you can manage it better over time with discipline and practice. One thing that was hard for me in the beginning of my own entrepreneurial journey was reaching out to others for help and just being honest about needing help. I'm not very good at that, but I found that once you can be open about it, it eases the pressure and helps others understand what you're going through. Honestly, I think a lot of the friction and stresses on relationships is caused by the other person not knowing what is really happening inside. Keep up the writing and doing great work!
Absolutely! Sharing perspectives is key. Not just with your spouse but also friends, advisors, etc. I still struggle a lot with this very topic, but it's a WIP. We're all in this together!
Thoughtful. And here's something else to consider: squaring this circle has for me, and I think many, been SO much easier during the pandemic. We're not traveling, we're not at the office late, etc. It's been a blessing that has forced some rethinking and reprioritizing. The question is how will we return to "normal" life. What will we hold onto from this time. I've been thinking about that A LOT. No real answers yet, but feeling both excited and nervous about it...
Hey Curtis, thanks for taking the time to write. While I’m still single, I can relate to many points. I greatly value my friend and family relationships, and think a lot of these same trade offs can apply.
One thing I’ve tried that has been helpful in the past year is to establish a morning meditation routine. I find this helps me focus on being optimally present and also creates a sort of flexibility in the mind to “transition between modes” a bit more smoothly.
Some of the meditation apps have served me well in this pursuit, namely Calm, Headspace and FitMind. Hope it helps!
Hey Curtis. This really resonated, and felt timely. My wife gave me the, "when you're here, you're not really here" feedback through most of last year. It wasn't until this past holiday season that I really felt those words and was aptly broken up by them. We're only weeks into Jan, but I've been working on keeping a grip on my own mind during downtime.
For whatever one man's limited experience is worth ... I've concluded that switching gears quickly enough is only possible for me if I'm staying grounded throughout the day. So far the thing that's worked the best for me is cycling through a few grounding thoughts that I threw on a sticky note ... major theme being detachment from outcomes. Anyway, thanks for the much needed vulnerability and looking forward to more of you here!
Brother, such a tough struggle! I totally empathize and relate. Think these things come in phases, but it’s so tough to know how certain initiatives will play out sometimes...
Looking forward to more thoughts from you
Curtis, first - kudos for writing about this. It's hard for all-in, high achieving type-A founders like you to do. And I mean that in the best way! I agree that work-life balance as an entrepreneur is a myth. But like you say, I think you can manage it better over time with discipline and practice. One thing that was hard for me in the beginning of my own entrepreneurial journey was reaching out to others for help and just being honest about needing help. I'm not very good at that, but I found that once you can be open about it, it eases the pressure and helps others understand what you're going through. Honestly, I think a lot of the friction and stresses on relationships is caused by the other person not knowing what is really happening inside. Keep up the writing and doing great work!
Absolutely! Sharing perspectives is key. Not just with your spouse but also friends, advisors, etc. I still struggle a lot with this very topic, but it's a WIP. We're all in this together!