Sleep and the pursuit of greatness

Last week I was hit with a severe cold that put me in bed for almost three days straight. When you are incapable of operating as a human, you ponder about what is vital.

I lost the desire to do anything but to sleep and eat. I have never felt this exhausted in my life. One doesn’t get obese overnight; you also don’t burn out immediately.

Everything you do in your life is a combination of small habits, attitudes, and actions that combined put you in the position you are.

You must own your success and failures. Blame nobody for nothing.

One of the most dangerous fallacies that we, as CEOs/Venture Capitalists face is this superhuman syndrome.

We must have this suspending disbelief that we are going to achieve the impossible and push — world-class athletes rest. World-class business folks must rest too.

For the past ten years, I have always found a way to boost my productivity, “do more faster” and add more things to my life. Right now, I am at capacity, feeling like the best way to optimize is to simplify and eliminate radically. Creating emptiness is the way for progress.

Sleeping for 6.5-7.5 hours a day for the past days has been incredible.

Prioritizing exercise versus another call or meeting for a deal that could be amazing, and it is worth every penny.

Better than any productivity hack I have found, I am back to simplicity, cutting down the 15+ supplements I was taking daily to 5.

I made two simple changes in my life. No caffeine after 2 PM and tested my melatonin intake to a higher dose (usually I would do 1-3mg, but have been experimenting with 3-5mg) with better results. I noticed that if I eat a burger and have 2 beers, I lose ~2 hours of sleep, and then, on the next day, by 8 PM I feel like a Zombie. It is too expensive to sacrifice sleep, diet, and exercise.

I am grateful that I got sick. It put things in perspective. Since the early days of my career, I have been sacrificing personal relationships, my health, and my well-being to get things done faster and better. I think doing that in your 20’s is possible and recommended.

That said, once you have a bit more infrastructure and the ability to make impactful decisions, you need to step back and have a fresh mind, because your decision-making is more powerful and impactful. Today we manage millions of dollars for our investors, and I must be fresh, with a clear mind, and focus on achieving the absolute best.

You must know that it is right in the pursuit of greatness.

You need to be desire-less, formless, and supremely content. You should not try to change the world. The real transformation happens inside out.

When you change yourself and how you approach life, the Universe starts providing, and you and the forces around you surround a new energy field.

Light always wins against darkness and injustice — the light inside all of us. Patience is a virtue.