It’s just past 5am in Denver, CO, and I’ve been awake since 2:30am, thanks to a heavy Mexican meal and a restless mind full of thoughts. I’m here on a trip to catch a NY Knicks vs. Denver Nuggets game with my 13-year-old, which is pretty cool.
Lying awake made me think about the balance of work, life, and those occasional sleepless nights. They’re not all bad, really. If you're mostly hitting around 6 hours of sleep a night, you're doing okay. But sometimes, the brain just kicks into overdrive.
There are the classic reasons for being up at night, family worries, kids, health, finances, work, etc... And clearly where you are at in terms your life stage has a huge bearing on this however, I think the reasons we stay up or can't sleep fall into 3 buckets,
Here’s what keeps me up at night, and maybe you can relate:
Too Much To Do: This happens to me every few months. When it does, I jot down everything that’s on my mind. Getting it all out helps. If I’m still wired, a quick meditation session might do the trick.
Family Concerns: The saying goes, "you're only as happy as your least happy child." It’s true, and it’s not just about kids but anyone close to you. Worrying is part of the deal. The trick is to acknowledge these feelings but also realize you can’t control everything. Support them, yes, but also let yourself rest.
Business/Finances: There are certainly times when I worry about the finances. Especially now as I am in this transition phase of getting SKOR off the ground. The financial model and the actual product that is the business is critical. How will it become financially viable? How will it solve problems for CEOs? Will they pay for it? Exciting and daunting all at the same time.
One personal experience share from building companies was, share your realities with your teams. The finances and the business. The more people that care and "lose sleep" over the numbers the better the business will become.
Get back to bed now and here's to a better night sleep tomorrow.