80% of a founder’s journey is managing one’s psychology, both the high highs and low lows.
Easier said than done, especially when mornings come with an automatic feeling nagging at the chest. A feeling I’ve intermittently begun feeling as of late.
Fortunately, journaling, a co-founder, group therapy and a list of rationalizations boomerang my sanity.
I thought I’d formalize some of my mantras and rationals, as a way to explicitly remind myself what to stay grounded to and in an attempt to other founders out there.
Short-term pain for long-term gains
Ah, the classic marshmallow experiment, applied to founder life. What might seem painful in the day the day, can be fulfilling in the long-term. Long-term thinking is where it’s at.
Bird by bird
Anne Lammott reminds us to take life (and writing) bird by bird. Day by day, week by week. On Monday mornings, I especially tell myself to take it a week at a time. My co-founder and I take ample time to define what our week’s goals are and I take comfort in fulfilling those goals for the rest of the week. Same goes for the day, and the next, and the next.
Asymmetric bet
When I quit my job to jump into the entrepreneurial world, I coined my journey as an asymmetric bet. I still stand by it. I’m learning a ton, gaining expertise in things I enjoy, meeting a ton of people in the space.
Autonomy-impact axis
I still value a ton of autonomy in my work and being a founder is the ultimate representation of that autonomy.
Compounding growth
Now that I’m taking my shots on goal a second time, I’m feeling the brunt of compounding growth. I’m still learning A TON more than I would have at a larger corporation and glad I have the freedom to continue taking more shots on goal.
Time to kick some psychological butt.