24- An Entrepreneur’s Version
With the launch of the new season of "24" I thought I would share my own version of 24. Unfortunately I didn't get to shoot anyone and I didn't have to hack any Closed Circuit security systems but it was still a pretty hectic day.
In addition to running an ecommerce startup I also consult for a handful of websites, I'm going to school to get my MBA because I love learning AND I depend on exercise to keep me sane. Here is how I fit it all in.
- 5:30 AM Get up to go cross country skiing up Millcreek Canyon. Okay, when I said "yes" to the idea of getting up early to go skiing, I had no idea that that meant 5:30 AM. It's still night time and I have to wear a headlamp! I usually get up around 8:00 AM but in the winter it's really hard to exercise so I'll roll with it.
- 5:45 AM pick up John. I thought that dentists had Fridays off... turns out that there are a few that don't. (Wonder if he thinks that part in "Hangover" about the dentist is as funny to him as it is to me.) Good thing I picked up my skis from REI the night before. I rented cross country skis because I'm normally a downhill guy and don't have cross country skis.
- 7:10 AM back from skiing. I didn't realize how good of a work out it was to cross country ski. It's been awhile. I almost stumbled down the stairs because I didn't realize my legs were that tired. I spend a few minutes chatting with my 10 and 8 year old sons. They're watching some "japanesee" cartoon that I don't understand and I wonder to myself when my parents' interests started to diverge from my own interests.
- 7:45 AM After a quick shower and getting dressed in the dark to avoid waking my wife and sleeping 2-year old, I grab the Wall Street Journal and leave for work.
- 8:00 AM I decide to stop by the bakery for some breakfast. I'm a little disappointed that this location doesn't have the breakfast bagel sandwiches for $3.00. I buy a croissandwich from Paradise Bakery and leave for work.
- 8:15 AM arrive at work and start reading the Journal. I have to read it for school but rather quite like it. After about 15 minutes I start to read my email. If you ask my kids what I do for a living, they will tell you that I send email and sit in front of a computer all day. They would be right. I think that's what I do most days. I had a couple of calls, send a quick email campaign and continue answering emails. I check on projects and make a few calls. It's a good thing I had a big breakfast because I don't have time to go to lunch. I planned on going skiing with my kids at Alta because it's free after 3:00 but the time gets away from me so I leave too late to go. It's okay because their grandparents just got to town from Colorado. I think I'll go for a quick bike ride.
- 3:30 PM leave for bike ride. Ride for 25 miles with a friend. Talk about jobs, bikes, the weather. Where else can you ski and ride your bike on the same day? It's amazing really! I have to ride while Paul B. is away so I can drop him when we ride next time. He's been working out at the gym with the goal of dropping me. Do you think that's too competitive?
- 5:00 PM arrive back home. Shower and grab a snack of fresh rolls from Great Harvest... ah, what a great bread store!
- 5:45 PM leave for study group.
- 6:00 PM arrive at study group. Study Finance until 10:00 PM.
- 10:15 PM arrive home. Grab leftovers from the fridge and chat with my wife and her parents.
- 11:00 PM sit down to send out an email campaign and make a blog post for a client. I got it all ready to go but then I had to upgrade the account because our subscriber list has grown since we did the redesign. I'll have to get permission from my client.
- 12:15 AM go to bed and kiss my sleeping wife goodnight.
- 7:00 AM wake up to go to MBA school from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM while trying to answer email and calls during breaks.
This was a little busier than normal but as you can see there is not time to watch TV. I spend quality time with my wife and kids on weekends and evenings.
Benefits of Pondering and Meditation for Busy People
While visiting the children's museum several months back, I was struck by some information about an inventor. It mentioned that this particular inventor had a place he liked to visit for inspiration. He would take time to relax while working on complex problems. I didn't pay too much attention to it until the friend I was with pointed it out- It's important to find time to Ponder and Meditate. I guess I should point out the irony. I went to the "children's'" museum, a place that is designed to inspire children and came away inspired myself.
The next day I watched "Kung Fu Panda" and there was a scene where the wise master turtle told panda that he was doing well to have found his place for pondering under the sacred peach tree. I know it was meant to be funny and it was but I can't help but think about this concept-- the notion that you can change your focus from the task at hand for awhile and then come back and solve it with much greater ease.
I've seen this principle play out numerous times in my professional life. I work with programmers who can spend a whole day trying to fix a bug only to leave and come back the next day and solve it in a matter of minutes--not hours.
A friend of mine likes to sleep and find answers. She says that if you go to bed thinking about something that you need to solve, your brain works on it while you sleep-- it's akin to a super computer-- just turn it on and let it do the processing while you go about sleeping.
Take time to think, to reflect, to meditate. You'll have to find what works for you. It might be on an airplane away from your phone and without Internet access or it might be at the top of a mountain or in the comfort of your own shower. As you do this, here are some of the benefits you can expect:
- Improved health
- Improved relationships
- Better ideas
- More motivation
- Increased creativity
- Higher productivity
- Improved retention rate
- Increased patience
- Much, much more.
I did a quick Google search for "benefits of meditation" and found this article: "100 Benefits of Meditation". In addition, if you would like to see the "science" behind meditation, check out some of the information available from Time Magazine.
