The startup accelerator I’m participating in this summer begins next Monday, and I’m beginning to feel my stress levels rise in anticipation. My accelerator-related stress comes from my fear of not utilizing this 10 week period to its fullest potential. I’m worried about maintaining FOCUS on the task at hand, all summer, irrespective of the myriad distractions that will surely arise*.
Rather than writing out the key things that I plan to focus on this summer, I want to employ the Warren Buffett approach of negative selection, and think through the things that I aim to AVOID. I’m most worried about activities that I enjoy or are enticing, but that do not push my key goal (building the startup) forward.
Some thoughts, in no particular order:
- Alcohol – I started this one 1.5 months ago and it is no longer challenging to maintain. It’s crazy how quickly people (myself and those around me) adapt.
- Online chess – you laugh, but I spend more time playing this seemingly innocent game than I care to publicly admit on the internet.
- Using my phone in the bathroom…
- Email – I’m not eliminating the use of email, but will try to eliminate my frequency of checking it. I think the ideal cadence is to schedule 2 or 3 email batching sessions daily.
- Golf – I’m not a golfer but usually agree to playing 1 or 2 rounds every summer. Not this summer.
- Others ideas?
This is a work in progress, but I figured some readers may appreciate these half baked thoughts given I haven’t published in a while. If we haven’t chatted recently, give me a ring 🙏!
*I should note that I’m thankful to have many great relationships with family and friends, and that I much prefer having these relationships, along with any distractions they may bring, versus a life of social isolation.
Noah's (Life) Ark 