A fellow entrepreneur said to me: “you absolutely need to get out of your house, at least once a week.”
When you work a corporate job, you are not in charge of your own time.
Instead, you spend most of your time connecting to people, attending meetings, playing politics, etc. Often, you crave dedicated time to do actual work. Ok, you crave it everyday because you usually catch up on work on your personal time.
You’ll overlook how much social time you need as you start your business.
As you jump into entrepreneurship, you’ll have a lot more time to think and do actual work. The problem is you’ll tip the scales too far in the other direction and you’ll end up craving social time.
In the first few months, you’ll absolutely love all the time to yourself.
Your joy will lose its shine, though. Imagine a week or two without an in-person meeting. Sounds great on first thought, but then…
For me, I started looking forward to trips to the grocery store to chat with the clerks. True story. It’s especially bad in the winter months when it’s darker, colder, and rainy. (Hello Seattle!)
We’re wired to be social, to work in groups…even if you consider yourself an
introvert.
There is a reason why you will sometimes go stir crazy. We all know this intuitively and it even has a formal name: social health.
According to this article in The Guardian,
Being socially healthy requires cultivating bonds with family, friends and the people around you, belonging to communities, and feeling supported, valued, and loved, in the amounts and ways that feel nourishing to you.
Decades of research have proven that connection is as essential as food and water, but this knowledge hasn’t yet made its way into the mainstream understanding of health – and without it, we’re suffering.
Working with others energizes and motivates us, even us introverts.
It’s so important to hear someone else say “Congratulations!” to celebrate your latest win and “You’ll get through this” at your most recent setback. Don’t forget the “bumps in the hallway.” These can be surprising, random moments that often inspire new ideas and fresh perspectives.
Creating your social support structures is vital for your social health.
| Get out of your house on a regular basis, seriously. | A change of scenery does wonders. I make a point of working somewhere outside of my home a few times a week. |
| Work alongside others. | This is important! It’s why artists create collectives. By surrounding yourself with people who are working in similar ways, it cues your brain to do the same. |
| Find time to help others with their challenges. | This dials up the social interaction. As a bonus, it gives your mind a break from your own challenges. When you return to your work, you’ll discover fresh perspectives and new ways of looking at your challenges. |
| Meet with your network on the regular. | Think of this as deliberately finding your watercooler spot. It’s a way to get connected, stay engaged, and exchange ideas on the regular. In person is best, but virtual works too. |
”You can’t spend all your time alone at home.”
That’s what my entrepreneur friend who I quoted earlier emphasized.
When you have regular scenery changes, people to work around and to help, and peers to lean on for good moments and bad, you get social energy that sustains and nourishes you.
Check out Common Mistake #4
I tackle the pitfalls of binge learning in the next common mistake. Click here to learn how this pitfall is like the not too distant cousin of a Netflix binge.
To your success,
Pierre
Certified Professional Coach
Entrepreneurship comes with bumps—some you can’t avoid, but a lot you can.
I put together a short guide: The 5 Common Mistakes Business Creators Make (and how to avoid them).
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