The Glorious Art of Shrugging
Being an entrepreneur, they say, means you're a multi-tasking ninja. And yeah, for a while, you do juggle the janitor-CEO gig like a slightly dishevelled rockstar. But let's face it, there comes a point when you just feel like a tired dog dragging its feet, muttering, "Nope, can't adult today." Especially when the dark circles are battling your allergy-induced fuzziness for dominance, and your "artistic vision" looks more like abstract sneeze paintings.
The secret to not drowning in your ambition? Mastering the exquisite art of the shrug. Not that fake "I went to Harvard" shrug ( I have one, complete with the eye roll that screams, "I could buy this building"). No, this is the real shrug. The one that says, "That's not my circus, and those are not my increasingly agitated monkeys." It's about shrugging off the stuff that’s actively trying to suffocate my entrepreneurial spark under a pile of tasks.
The Sweet Sound of "Nope" to Those 1 AM Brainwaves:
Ah, the 1 AM inspiration! Those hair-brained ideas that sound revolutionary when you're half-asleep and somehow morph into rambling 6 AM voice notes. You pour your soul into them, even get Gemini all excited ("Best thing since sliced bread!"), culminating in a detailed 15-episode podcast plan that clearly everyone should drop everything for.
The result? A solitary thumbs up in the chat followed by the deafening silence of "we'll get to it when we have time" – which, as we all know, translates to ‘never’. This is where the majestic "Nope" needs to make its grand entrance. It's not admitting defeat; it's acknowledging that my nocturnal brilliance might occasionally veer into "slightly unhinged." Holding onto every single brain fart is like trying to race my beloved old Bullet against a pack of superbikes. It was gorgeous, it made the dub-dub sound, but after 90 kmph, it just started vibrating ( Tell me when you get tired of motorcycle references). Time to say, "Cool idea, midnight me, but I just bought a new bike (true story!), so let's focus on not making that shake apart." File that podcast idea in a folder (or a forgotten Google Sheet ).
The Gentle Art of Delegation (Even for Us Supermen/Superwomen):
I've been known to declare my Superman status. But even Superman had his Kryptonite (and probably a really bad allergy season). As entrepreneurs, we often can do a ridiculous amount of stuff. I can code (not anymore), design (when I have time), handle accounts (grudgingly), strategise (brilliantly!), and throw legendary team parties (my cooking is surprisingly decent). Basically, I'm a gloriously chaotic multitasker who desperately needs an intervention.
The universe (in the form of a slightly exasperated team) tried to stage that intervention this week when I suggested building our AI platform on weekends. The response? A patient explanation that just because I can doesn't mean I should. My superpower should be… strategy? And making sure everyone's on the same page? I spent a good 20 minutes arguing before getting the classic eye roll and a weary, "You're the admin on Github, knock yourself out."
The truth? I haven't coded anything decent in 14 years (a truly awful personal website doesn't count). I have actual humans who are good at this stuff. So, the design whiz can design, the marketing guru can market, and I? I'll stick to the visionary stuff (and maybe finally take a guilt-free weekend. Shocking, I know). Realising I can't be everywhere and do everything isn't a weakness; it's the cheat code to unlocking actual, sustainable growth.
The Takeaway: Shrug It Off and Stride On:
Being an entrepreneur is a glorious, messy, often hilarious ride. I have moments of pure brilliance and faceplant moments. There are so many mistakes I have made just in the last week, and I know walking away from people and ideas is very difficult.
The key is not to get bogged down by the ideas that stubbornly refuse to fly or other thoughts that are bad for you, but one can’t let go. I need to learn to identify what truly deserves my precious energy and what warrants a polite, slightly sarcastic shrug followed by a swift pivot (or a well-deserved nap). My sanity (and my business's actual chances of success) will thank me. Now, have to go forth and strategically shrug my way to a brighter, slightly less chaotic future! Shrug it out, people! Shrug it out!