What I Learned From a Feathered Friend…
I’ve been working hard lately to incorporate more leisure and fun into my days. At some point over the last 5 or so years I lost sight of what fun is. I poured all of my energy into my business and almost nothing into myself. It has taken a toll on my health both mentally and physically. I have big goals and dreams for my company so the logical thing to do would be to devote all of my time and energy into the business. This however has lead to chronic fatigue, brain fog, depression, illness, and overall a lower quality of life.
I was looking out my window at work and saw this crow. At first I thought he was trying to kill an insect. After a bit it was obvious the bird wasn’t trying to eat anything. It was a small piece of trash that the bird was flipping up in the air and playing with. Crows are extremely intelligent animals. I’m sure the bird knew whatever it was doing wasn’t productive. It was just having fun.
I see this at home with my dogs and 2 year old daughter. They are constantly playing. Even something like an empty paper towel tube is a toy. To my daughter it’s a telescope or megaphone. To the dogs it’s a chew toy. To me it’s a piece to garbage that needs to be recycled. What is it about children and animals that allows they to play with the simplest objects? I imagine they are actively looking for play. They see life through a different perspective.
I’m working hard to unwind a little and enjoy life. My drive to achieve my goals is greater than my desire for health and happiness. Making the decision to prioritize fun is my first step to recovery. It’s however harder that I imagined. Deep down I know that I’ll be more productive at work if I’m happy and healthy. There however is a voice inside me that says I should push a little harder. Skip the afternoon nap to get a few things done, skip a vacation till I’m caught up at work, and in general pushes me to go beyond what my body can tolerate.
It seems common with other entrepreneurs, this sense of needing to do more. We often laugh about it, loosening track of time, working through holidays, etc. Fortunately(and unfortunately ) not everyone is affected physically. My neighbor at the Brooklyn Park warehouse almost died from work related stress. His body started breaking down muscle tissue and the protein starting clogging his organs. In the end he went back to a 9-5 job per his doctors recommendation. This isn’t an option for me, I need to find a solution to manage my work related stress. I am making small changes working towards my goal of improving my mental and physical health. A few weeks ago I felt as good as I have in about 3 years. I know it works, I just need to be more mindful of my stress.
My short term goal is $10 million in gross sales by 2023, long term $100 million in gross sales per year by 2030. I know that I can hit these goals, it will however take a monumental amount of focus and self reflection. I need to start being true to myself and what my body needs. Sometimes it might be rest, sometimes play, time away from work, time at work. A big thing I’m working on is delegating my work. I often try to do work that can easily be delegated. An example of this is welding. Earlier this year I calculated my hourly rate, it came out to just over $700/ hr. If welding was relaxing or enjoyable that’s fine, but it’s not. It’s a task. I just finished my last bit of prototype welding and plan using the fabrication shop moving forward. It doesn’t align with my goals so it’s getting taken off my plate.
