Avoid Distractions and Remain Focused
bretthard.in
bretthard.in
Here's my advice, as someone who's been self-employed for 5 years and recently sold a startup:
Eat well, sleep right, exercise daily, go on dates. You'll be happier and more productive.
I don't want to buy a beta product from a company, only to find out that it went out of business five minutes after the founder hung himself with his belt.
(been there, done that... NOT good)
If you burn every waking hour on your company, and it goes kaput in two years, what do you have to show for that time?
For me, adding exercise and learning a musical instrument to my routine have been major wins. I can have a day where everything possible goes wrong at work, and still look back and say "I got something done." It's a pattern of life that, even when things go awry, I can say that I'm closer to where I want to be now than I was yesterday.
if you follow this advice, you'll probably be outpaced by someone that is seen more than you (and thus grabs the spotlight), that has more energy due to a healthier lifestyle (and thus outlasts you in the long run) and the most important of all - keeps his sanity and morale by, you know, dating and having friends (thus avoiding burn-out).
success is much more frequently achieved by ones who are simply more visible, have a bigger network of supporters and/or can work steady in the long run. As they say it's a bloody marathon, not a sprint...