BrownChickenBrownCow

mikehudack:

via thedailywhat.

This is fantastic. I constantly find myself on the verge of major sleep debt, and do everything I can to avoid it. I went home early yesterday and crashed out at nine. Woke up at 6:30 this morning without an alarm feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world. I will get more done today than I would get done during three days while sleep impaired.

This is why I’m constantly reminding everyone at blip that we’re engaged in a marathon and not a sprint. No one should try to be the hero who pulls all nighters all the time. Having to pull an all nighter is an admission of failure. You should do your nine to eleven hours per day, go home, get a good night’s sleep, and come back refreshed. If you find yourself too stressed out or too tired (and you’re not always the best judge of this) you should take a day off and come back rested. You’ll make fewer mistakes, be more efficient, and do better work in general.

I feel like sleep and stress are two things that most start-ups manage very poorly. Lack of sleep and high stress come with the environment. But they can be effectively managed and they should be effectively managed.

I especially liked hearing Mike say “Having to pull an all nighter is an admission of failure.”  I agree with that.  While it’s necessary every once and awhile with client work, there are SO MANY people who play that hero role.  It’s silly if you can’t prioritize and become efficient in your work.  Learn the right skills and you should be sleeping well almost every night.

4 September 2009 ·