Stress. It’s an ailment we all suffer from, some more than others. While the nuances behind your stress compared to mine may be different, the root (aside from tragedies and the death of a loved one) stems from the same thing.
Before I get into that ‘thing’ which causes stress and tension inside, it’s important none of us underestimate the power of stress. It’s been known to make people lose motivation for their passion, self-medicate with drugs and booze, develop a disease, and even drive some to suicide. And while there is a time and place for stress as it can trigger one to dig deep and outperform all expectations, it needs to be controlled and respected.
The Cause of Our Stress
From an entrepreneurial perspective, a moderate amount of stress from time to time is right. Pressure is good. However, continual stress will most certainly kill your ability to innovate. Calmness and innovation go hand in hand. Stress is the antithesis of calm.
So, to that thing which causes stress:
Knowing, truly knowing in your heart of hearts, that you can be more than you are demonstrating in your day to day behavior and performance.
Be it as a parent, partner, entrepreneur, son or friend; knowing that you have not given it your best is the root of almost all stress. It sucks to let others down - really sucks. But more than that even, by letting yourself down you get pulled into a consistent state of stress and disappointment. And like a game of dominoes, that disappointment in one area of your life due to not reaching your potential (or giving it your best), works its way into all aspects of your life. This is stress. This is what creates stressed out people.
Effort Kills Stress
Stress is like cancer. It feeds off itself and inevitably makes its way into every part of your life. So the point here is to never let yourself down. No matter what it is you are doing, whether it is playing with your kids at the park, working with colleagues, leading a team into new territory, etc. give it your complete and undivided attention and effort. Knowing you gave 110% effort, prepared as best you could, and were genuinely enthused during the process will leave you satisfied and without regret, no matter the outcome.
Stay hungry,
Aaron
PS - I’m an entrepreneur and angel investor always looking inward to improve my game. Subscribe to my newsletter below. I share my latest findings and tips…
