Schedule Your Sanity

Allan Goldner

Entrepreneurs are a driven species.  They work their businesses as if possessed.  From morning till night, seven days a week, and including holidays, they consider and plan and wonder and hope.  They are instantly available for any emergency, day or night, or any mundane matter no matter how trivial.  Not one of their staff can keep up or hold up as well.  He or she captains this ship of their own creation built with the hopeful timbers and ropes of their lifework.  To continue the metaphor, they then pilot this ship like Ahab looking for Moby.  Standing at the helm, the captain ponders and observes the winds of sales fill the sails, albeit briefly at first, but then more consistently.  Standing fast, guiding his charge through the waves of debt and doubt, the circumspect martinet remains vigilant while others vacation and have sick days.  Sound familiar?

To explain where I’m going with this, I should first explain from whence I came. I’ve just returned from spending a few days in Philadelphia.  Although it was the Ides of March, the city of brotherly love was enjoying 65 degree weather. While having lunch with a client, the discussion inevitably turned to the phenomenal weather.  One thought led to another, when he surprised me.  I thought he was going to say that the beautiful spring day gave his business an opportunity to forge ahead or catch up or something of that kind.  But instead, he said, when I see a day like this, I take the day off.  At first, I was speechless. Not because I didn’t immediately understand his strategy, but because he is an entrepreneur.  He called it a “recharge your batteries day”, but I like to call it “a sanity day”. 

Consider this.  The entrepreneur is without question, the most valuable, indispensable commodity of the business.  By their own admission, the entire enterprise couldn’t exist without them.  Doesn’t it follow, that this vital and non replaceable asset should be nurtured? 

We schedule everything. Meetings, strategy sessions, advertising and cost control budgets.  Shouldn’t we schedule a consistent time to recharge ourselves?  A time wholly devoted to removing ourselves from our responsibilities and taking an hour or even a day, to simply enjoy our time.  A long walk, a movie, a casual unhurried meal or even an afternoon nap can relax and energize us.  I remember, not too long ago, when I lived back east and a huge snowstorm would force the issue and effectively shut down commerce in the area.  After lamenting a loss of sales and the repercussions of that loss, I would finally yield to the will of nature.  Then, I might find myself shoveling snow for a time and finally relax with family or friends.  Somehow, this respite would clear my head and force me to enjoy the moment. The result, a sense of renewal and enthusiasm would stand ready as I approached my upcoming business.  What nature compelled me to do is what I now understand as an absolute necessity to maintaining the mental vigor of the entrepreneur.  Scheduling a time for yourself is scheduling your sanity.  Just steer over to that tropical paradise, captain.