I am tired. I haven't taken a full day off in at least three weeks. Why not? Because I am really busy and I have a lot of work due. It is not by choice but by necessity. I at least try to pace myself. I don't burn the midnight oil. I take breaks. But it is still mentally trying.
I recognize it is not healthy. I know my brain is not functioning on all cylinders all of the time. And I know it will be next weekend before I can truly relax. That's life. That's work sometimes.
But doing work requires having the energy to do it well. Entrepreneurs cannot run on empty indefinitely. Some think they must and do so for an extended period of time. As a consultant I have reviewed work product cranked out at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. It usually stinks. It usually cannot be utilized. So why bother? We fool ourselves into thinking we can do it and do it well. And we just want to get it done and we stop caring about quality.
If you are in that mode, don't send your work out when it is done. Save it until the morning and re-read it after some sleep. You can then judge it for what it is.
Remember, whatever you send out, be it to employees, or customers, or vendors, is part of your branding. Is your brand full of mistakes- bad math, spelling and grammar? Is that how you wish to be described by others?
If you are going to do it, do it right. To do it right, you need your ability to concentrate and focus on the task at hand. How about "better late than lousy" as a motto? Which damages your reputation the most- handing in a sloppy project or handing in a well done project late? Your call, based on your knowledge of your client/customer.





Recent Comments