Are you doing things that scare you shitless? Or are you happy to live in your comfort zone?
Failure is something I can deal with. Regret is not.
I have a little secret. A little secret that most entrepreneurs have. Don’t tell anyone okay?
i work a lot.
Yep. Ain’t that the truth. In fact, I try to plan my day so I’m working from 7-530, eating, then back to work from 8-12. Yeah. And for the past weeks, I’ve been fine with this schedule.
Today, due to a mix of hormones, peer pressure, and perhaps even the will of God, I went to dinner and a movie. I relaxed. I was away from my computer for 7 hours (the time of my last tweet).
Snippets of work here and there pinged me from time to time. I admit, I was strategizing over the spicy fish dish in my mind while halfway listening to the conversation at the dinner table.
I wanted to go home to work. I kept trying to make excuses in my mind to get out of the movie, but in the end, I went to watch “Julie and Julia”.
And ya know what? It was these mindless activities of “fun” and “relaxation” that have helped me gather my thoughts and figure out how to restructure my life and better take over the world.
My simple point being- You’re an entrepreneur. You love work because you love what you do. It is your life. It is your passion. It is your dream you’re building.
But time away from that dream will remind you what your dream was about, why you are here to accomplish that dream in the first place, and perhaps remind you of the beginnning- the mission behind your plan.
It’s funny- every time I “relax”, I have pretty much the same revelation… but if you don’t take the time to have that revelation, you never will. And you constantly need to be reminded of what it’s like not to work. I strongly believe that without this rest and without practicing this concept of “work-life balance”, you’ll soon forget that life is a journey and not a destination. You’ll soon lose sight of that which is around you and end up alone at the finish line. The finish line is not the prize- the prize is the running in itself. And the water breaks in-between.
And if you have to schedule it in your damn Blackberry, then do it now. At least once a month. At least.
Cheers to your success. :)
<3 LadyLeet
Hello, All!
After a much needed vacation and food adventure around the world (rather, Montreal, NY, Paris, and Barcelona), I’m back in the Bay Area and many things have changed. Being away from the startups for a bit allowed me to clear my mind and my teams are progressing quicker than ever in the past two weeks than we ever have before.
1. Reborn Luxury is almost complete. We had a couple of speed bumps, but we’re set, setting up the VPS, getting SSL certs, and other fun stuff as such. We should be able to launch within the next month. The benefit of this? I’m able to spread the love and contribute to the fight against domestic violence, a cause dear to my heart.
2. The LiveUmbrella team has decided to restructure our focus from web apps to a special foodie site (we’re both foodies). We’re confident that this new site is going to be in great demand and not only have great traction, but it just *fits*. When a project fits, just do it. My gut tells me this refocus is the best thing that’s happened to our team. I can’t wait to play with the metrics/analytics of the site!
3. The TastyTwosome Vlog has begun. Julianne (@bicoastalite) and I have begun video blogging insanity at http://www.tastytwosome.com and are interviewing fine dining chefs in their natural habitat as well as other unique foodie peeps (it’s the most exciting thing ever).
4. I’ve begun at Brocade as a Business Analyst, and am ecstatic to be part of such an awesome growing team and excited to step back into the corporate world. It’s going to be a fun journey, for sure, and this is where I’ll be spending my days (nights will be spent daydreaming in other ventures).
Well, that’s a bit of a recap as to where I am, how I’ve restructured my life, and a quick gameplan on how I plan to take over the world (you think I’m kidding- I’m not).
So, my advice and what I’ve learned in the last couple of months? When it’s time to let go, it’s time to let go of that project(s) you’ve been holding on to, take a break, and come back when your mind is clear so you can figure out what is most important to you. When you figure it out, pursue those.
It may seem like I have a lot on my plate, but really? I’m passionate about every project and conquest, so working until 1am every morning doesn’t really bother me… all of it is enjoyable. :)
Stay tuned for the excitement about to come… there is so much to be done, and life is waiting for us to do it.
-Love, LadyLeet
It may be difficult to believe, but you are here on this earth to succeed.
With your hands you can build the world in a day.
With a positive attitude, there is no other way.
When you begin to give up, know that there is nothing to hard.
Know that if you keep pushing forward (with a smile), nothing can stop you and you will end up exactly where you want to be.
If you know your path, no matter how hard it may be to walk, you’ll find your way to the end.
It is, however, up to you whether you want to stub your toes on the stones or stop and pick the smiling flowers along the way.
So smile with each step, remember that life is a honeymoon phase.
Remember to have a love affair with this beautiful gift of life.
Smile. Dance. Fall. Dream. :)
-Love, LadyLeet
I was told the other day by Brocade’s CEO Mike Klayko that we were in the “honeymoon phase”. Happy, young, eager, and ready to conquer everything thrown to us, smiles were plentiful around the dinner table.
I told Mike that life *is* a honeymoon phase. He begged to differ, agreeing that life was fabulous, but… I saw the memories pass through his eyes of the long hours, the weeks away from family, and the determination he needed to get to where he is today. I might have seemed “naive” or “young” by making this statement, but you know what? I stand by my statement.
Life *is* a honeymoon phase. We all need to have a love affair with life.
I don’t know. Perhaps I have a more biased opinion, having been through days and nights of pain and struggle to merely stay alive… but… I’m hoping my positive attitude rubs off and transfers to everyone that comes in close proximity because it’s the only way to live. There’s been pain, there’s been struggle, but in the end and after the rain, only the rainbow remains. Beautiful, isn’t it?
I’ve been through enough to get hung up on the small things. Every day, I take in stride, knowing that everything will be okay no matter what. I know I am strong enough to handle anything, and can pick myself up out of any situation. We need to have this determination in our lives. Yes, entrepreneurs especially, but everyone and anyone who dreams.
We *must* live with the idea that nothing can stop us. We *must* live with a positive attitude 24/7, otherwise we become complacent with our surroundings. Be thankful for the times that may get us down, the struggles, the adversity, everything. Be thankful because God puts these events on earth for us to conquer and overcome. Living life with a smile is the only way to live.
Smile. :) I promise it feels good.
-Love, LadyLeet
Joining the corporate world, I must say quickly to note: All messages posted within this blog, my personal twitter account, and all other blogs as well as any additional postings (anywhere) do not represent anyone but me and my thoughts. :) Happy smiles to you all. :)
