The Best Founders Take Time to Rest

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On Friday, I was chatting with the founder of the fastest-growing startup I’ve ever seen. “How are you holding up?” I asked.

His answer might surprise you.

Inside the Daily Life of a Top Founder

“I went out with friends last Friday evening. It was great! And I even managed to get to the gym the next day.”

This would be normal life for most people. But in startupland, we’re all obsessed with working 100 hours a week and never taking a night off.

This guy was different. He was taking time to recharge.

And the results were showing in the numbers.

If You Don’t Rest, You Don’t Grow

I recently started doing Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Pump Club workouts. They’re very challenging.

But wouldn’t you know, even Arnold recommends rest!

He has you rest at least one day after each workout. This gives your muscles the time to repair and grow larger.

Even at the peak of his bodybuilding career, Arnold still took at least one rest day per week.

What’s true for our muscles is true for our minds. If we never relax them, we can’t make any progress.

A Practical Plan for Founders

If you’re a founder, taking an entire day off may not be realistic.

But try to take a single evening off and go meet some friends. Socialize. Try not to talk about work.

And don’t forget to move around!

Keep in mind the credo of the old WASP prep schools: “mens sana in corpore sano.” That’s Latin for “sound mind in a sound body”.

Those blue bloods knew what they were talking about! If our body isn’t right, our brains won’t be either.

Wrap-Up

You can idolize working 120 hours a week and never sleeping.

But our goal isn’t to work more hours. It’s to grow our businesses!

That means we need rest.

Try to get out for an evening once a week and see some friends. Try to make it to the gym at least a couple of times a week.

If you can find a little balance, I’m confident your startup will grow faster than ever.