America is a start-up nation. Look for the bleeding edge of advancement in just about any endeavor, and you will find a bunch of people operating on no sleep, hunched over computers or their phones, banging out code, copy, or a business plan, living in a distinct lack of luxury, confident that they will someday see the fruits of their labor... and loving it. Sounds a whole lot like the life of a journalist, no?
I recently attended the SXSW V2V conference in Las Vegas. It is an event focusing on startups, full of the energy and flavor of the well knowns SXSW Interactive/Film/Music festivals in Austin, TX. (I'm a fan, and hopefully a future attender, of both events.) I picked up one consistent message during the panels I attended: people in a startup need to do more for themselves, and not put EVERYTHING into the startup. Here is some of the specific advice I heard.
- Get enough sleep. Obviously.
- Be selfish. Do something for yourself every day. One entrepreneur said after he wakes up and eats breakfast, he spends 30 minutes doing something for himself that has nothing to do with his company.
- Exercise. As in, don't sacrifice your body for your business.
- Be passionate about what you do. Otherwise, why do it?
- Constantly seek advice. Find a pal you can talk to about your stuff. Find a mentor.
- Focus on the achievable. Instead of looking at one huge insurmountable goal, cut it up into smaller, achievable goals.
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