Let's Stop Fetishizing Entrepreneurs' Hours Working 18-hour days is not a badge of honor. Instead of being a success strategy, it will only lead to fatigue and burn out.

By Adina Grigore

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

In 2009, while working full time, I started my organic skincare company S.W. Basics. I would get home at night and make products, write emails, pack orders and create long to-do lists. On weekends, I'd do all of that plus attend local markets to test selling products, always returning home with a new series of tasks for the following weeknights.

In 2011, I transitioned out of my job and into my company full time. But the hours didn't change. I continued working nights and weekends, and for the past seven years, my "vacations" have been business trips to places I wouldn't get to go otherwise.

I'm not complaining. I haven't been sad to watch S.W. Basics grow so much from the work I've done, and it doesn't suck to go to Paris on business. But recently, I've started to feel deeply fatigued. I have a hard time making decisions. Besides working, I don't do much of anything except lay on my couch. I have a short fuse and a bad attitude (at work and otherwise). On really bad days, I feel hopeless and like I can't manage my own company.

Related: How to Avoid Entrepreneur Overload

To combat this, my husband and I (we run S.W. together and our fatigue is mutual) recently designed new parameters to cut back. It's insanely difficult. We feel a lot like parents ignoring our baby, even if we just take a night to go to the movies. But I don't think us losing our minds will be beneficial to our business, so I'm thinking we're on the right track... finally. Here's what we're trying.

1. No business talk after 11 pm.

Sounds kind of ridiculous and easy, right? Not for me. This one is nearly impossible for me to follow, especially because I find myself to be the most brilliant at11 pm. But the middle of the night is never a good time to start talking about anything. For us at least, it's impossible to sleep after bringing up operations issues or stores we need to contact but keep forgetting about.

So at 11, or whatever time you start to wind down and feel calmer, don't bring up your business, try not to think about your business and definitely don't email people about your business.

2. Let emails sit for a few days.

This one is also basically impossible. I'm not sure if it's just me, but these days emails (and texts) are like real-time conversations. If I don't answer immediately, I have failed both the person who emailed me and my business. Except that's not true. When I rush to answer people, I don't take any time to think. I don't allow myself to get excited for an opportunity. It's like autopilot on speed. You might think you have to do this to make your business grow quickly but insanely fast growth is not all that matters (and it probably doesn't come from frantic emailing).

Related: The Secret to Increased Productivity: Taking Time Off

3. Take days off, go on trips, have hobbies.

Going to work out or meditate or reading self-help does not help. Trust me, I've tried. You need time away from the pursuit of perfection. Who were you before you started your business? What would you do on a Saturday if the business didn't exist? If you can't think of an answer or you can't remember, that is a problem. Figure it out. You'll be so happy, and your employees will like you better when you're suddenly happy on Monday. They'll say things like "You look so rested!" and you'll realize how bad it got. Not that I'm speaking from experience...

If you have entrepreneur friends you've probably been in conversations where everyone is bragging about how much they work. I have friends who sleep less than four hours, live in hotels, travel for business every few days, work through holidays, and are addicted to their phones. Entrepreneurs fetishize work--the more we do the more in control we feel of our [almost always insanely risky] businesses. Maybe we should stop though, it may help ensure that not only are we all successful, we also actually survive to enjoy that success.

https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif

Wavy Line
Adina Grigore

founder of S.W. Basics

Adina Grigore is the founder of S.W. Basics, a Brooklyn-based natural products company that makes an all-natural and sustainable skincare line. The idea for S.W. Basics came to her after she finished her education in holistic nutrition in 2007 and founded a grassroots health information company at the age of 23. Today, she’s never been so happy to have been blessed with sensitive skin -- and a zeal for entrepreneurship.

Editor's Pick

A Father Decided to Change When He Was in Prison on His Son's Birthday. Now His Nonprofit Helps Formerly Incarcerated Applicants Land 6-Figure Jobs.
Lock
A Teen Turned His Roblox Side Hustle Into a Multimillion-Dollar Company — Now He's Working With Karlie Kloss and Elton John
Lock
3 Mundane Tasks You Should Automate to Save Your Brain for the Big Stuff
Lock
The Next Time Someone Intimidates You, Here's What You Should Do
5 Ways to Manage Your Mental Health and Regulate Your Nervous System for Sustainable Success

Related Topics

Business News

'Do You Hate Me?': High School Teacher Shares Wild Emails He Receives From Students

Jordan Baechler teaches high school students in Ontario, Canada.

Life Hacks

The Top 5 All-Time Best Productivity Hacks You've Never Heard Of

Want to combat chronic procrastination? Use these top five productivity hacks to put an end to this debilitating nuisance.

Fundraising

Working Remote? These Are the Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Video Conferencing

As more and more businesses go remote, these are ways to be more effective and efficient on conference calls.

Growing a Business

The Best Way to Run a Business Meeting

All too often, meetings run longer than they should and fail to keep attendees engaged. Here's how to run a meeting the right way.

Leadership

I Accidentally Became a Successful Entrepreneur. Here Are 5 Mistakes I Learned to Avoid When Starting a Business

PR is, at its core, storytelling. And the story of my now-thriving solo-owned business has been fraught with as many mistakes as successes, as many fall down the ladder as steps up. It's from my missteps, in fact, that I learned even more than from my triumphs, and this article presents 5 of my biggest blunders on the road to a flourishing small business.