The expressed views of the contributors of the entrepreneur are their own.
I never believed in the idea of Silicon Valley that you have to work 24/7 and sacrifice everything to build a successful society. For me, building a company and breeding a family go hand in hand. These contrasting opinions are perhaps best illustrated with personal anecdote.
Long ago, when we were training a business partner and we increased the bike for the company we founded, I found that my MateSelf was sitting with some Silicon Valley investors. I knew they would have too much to meet us if it wasn’t quite serious about investing – they were the type of people who wanted and money they didn’t believe.
My wife Rachel and I recently learned that Rachel is pregnant with twins. The pregnancy was not planned, which meant we passed! I was about to become a proud father that not a furnace, but six high energy daughters.
To break the ice, my co -founder shared the above with our future investors. In most cases, the spice of generic small conversations with the story of uninhabited twins at least turns. However, investors were not amused.
The leading investor – I will never forget his name, even if I don’t mention it – he was like a heart attack. He looked directly at me and said, “You know, I have a really hard time like you. Why should you have a family if you should devote your whole life to running business? ”
Without missing the rhythm, I replied, “That’s interesting – I always tried to understand people like You. What makes sense to earn money if you don’t have anyone to enjoy it? Where is the satisfaction of being the only, 45 -year -old guy living in Penthouse at the University of Avenue in Palo Alto? Wouldn’t it feel empty and old after a while? My work is my daughter for me; I have to go home and play with a bunch of delightful little children who love me. ”
I said it in a calm, philosophical way, as if I simply shared an alternative view of facing insult. It seemed that my co -founder seemed to be destroyed, that the whole thing would be filmed as good as the meeting.
But you know what? The second words came out of the mouth of the higher investor, I knew I didn’t want his money. The family means too much to work with someone who could release it so cavalier.
Related: an open letter from a business father to your children how to find success
Family and Business
Family and business do not exclude each other, but let’s be realistic. The operation of the company is very difficult, stressful and unpredictable. Certainly there will be times to power failures, seemingly at the cost of spending time with those you prefer.
The problem begins when obstacles and opportunities are considered to be marathons rather than with sprints. Each entrepreneur faces sprint at one or the other point – something goes out of the rails, or there’s an opportunity to earn, so you spend more time at work than you usually want.
On the other hand, in Marathon is what you work on lessons, only for Alvita the inevitable anxiety of business. You think you have to bypass the clock because you feel better to do so – “If I work I don’t disappoint.”
Don’t make a mistake, that’s a lie. Like all lies, it will end in that you will hurt temporary, no matter how well you feel.
Related: You don’t have to sacrifice your family so you can persecute an entrepreneur. Here’s how to save 500 hours a year.
Victim versus rewards
It’s a depressed picture: You put in a thirteen hour day and return home at seven or eight to find out that you are missing dinner, children are already in bed and the angry of your partner that you have re -chosen the work over your family. In this case, you do not mention the stress of business, just as it is unbearable. You are unquestionably exhausting and avoiding your greatest source for inspiration and renewal.
My general rule for family balance and work throughout my career was to use travel. When I’m out of town, I work constantly. I mow five days of work to three. When I’m in the city, I’m always at home six or six thirty. When I am at home, I am always present with my children, present with Rache. Only when everyone is asleep will I crush further working hours if not.
I can imagine that I will try to pull out the same hours and be dispersed by the fact that you feel like a loser because you miss dinner again. It is the same number of hours no matter – why not go home, take a break, clean your head, invest in a purpose outside the work, and then return to this work as soon as you fulfill your duties as a parent and partner?
Start by recharge your batteries. Brain Science taught us that you have a limited love for the highest level every day. After a certain number of hours, the energy yields you spend compared to the quality of the results are reduced.
Believe me – when you feel good about yourself as a husband or father or mother, it’s like a shot of pure energy. Inserting more hours after you reaffirmed that your love for your family will be a much more productive experience.
When it comes to spending time with the family, there is really one rule: Be present, present, present. It is not about getting ready -the mind still holds in the office. If you want to achieve a balance between work and family, you have to postpone your phone, close your computer and completely.
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