Don't let your mental and physical well-being fall by the wayside just because you want to start your own business. If you really want to get ahead in life, then your health should always be your priority, not the amount of money in your bank account. No matter how busy you are, there are a few things that you can make sure to do if you want to stay sane and healthy:   Make time for relaxation every day. If something is bothering you, talk about it instead of bottling it up inside.      Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night, and try to go to bed and wake up at around the same time. Sleeping for only 4 hours a night to get a project done will only lead you to crash and burn.      Eat three balanced and healthy meals each day, and don't just scarf them down at your desk. Check in with yourself every day. How have you been feeling mentally and physically? What was troubling you the most? How can you avoid the problem the next day?     Sure, your career may feel like the most important thing in the world right now, but that doesn't mean you should completely ignore your family, your friends, your relationship, or any of your other obligations. You have to be able to keep all of those balls in the air, or your life will come crashing down on you. You may think that you should put all of your efforts into your new project at work, but when your girlfriend leaves you and you feel too upset to function, you'll wish you left time for more balance in your life.  Keep a schedule and make sure you “block out” time for your friends and family and loved ones, too. Sure, scheduling date night with your girlfriend or quality time with your kids may not feel like the most romantic or the most organic thing in the world, but it will keep you from having tunnel vision. Don't spend your life being terrified of making mistakes and hating yourself whenever you do make them. Failure is a part of life, and in the end, it will only make you stronger and give you the skills to tackle challenges down the line. If all you've ever had is success, then how will you react when you have an unexpectedly bad situation on your hands? This goes back to having a positive attitude – you don't have to jump for joy after you've screwed up, but you don't have to hate yourself over it, either.   Instead of saying, “I'm such an idiot. I can't believe I let that happen,” ask yourself, “Okay, what could I have done differently? How can I avoid having this happen in the future?”      Sometimes, something will happen that just isn't your fault at all. You gave it your all and you still failed. Maybe there's nothing you would have done differently. If that's the case, then be proud of yourself for working hard and move on.      Okay, so let's say you spent five years working your butt off on a novel and nobody wants to publish it. An optimistic person doesn't look at this as a failure; he thinks, “Well, spending five years working on a novel has certainly made me a better writer. Even if it hasn't found critical success, I can still be proud of the hard work I've put in, while knowing that it will help me write an even better second novel in the future.” In the beginning, when you knew nothing about your field, you might have taken the advice of absolutely anyone who had more experience than you. But as you grow older and wiser, you'll start to see that hey, maybe not all of those people knew what they were talking about. Or that they did know what they were talking about, but that their ideas of success didn't always match up with yours. You'll have to know what to take and leave the rest behind.  It takes practice to understanding whose views really align with yours, and character to not follow the advice of someone with really impressive credentials if you know it's not the best thing to do. Though achieving your goals, seeing your dreams fulfilled, etc., is pretty important stuff, so is laughing with your friends, having a water gun fight, or cooking an amazing Italian meal. It's important to take time out of your life to just be completely silly, try something new, or to laugh and be around the people you love the most. Sure, it won't directly help you become the CEO of your company, but it will help you face life with a fresh perspective, make you relax a bit instead of thinking that your career completely defines you, and will help you relax instead of working so darn hard 24/7.  Having fun will actually help you get ahead in life, if you do it in moderation, just like anything else. Block out a time every day to not thinking about working, projects, networking, or career goals, and focus on living in the moment. Being able to have fun while having a demanding career – now that's the real definition of getting ahead.
اعتنِ بنفسك. لا تنس الأجزاء الأخرى المكوّنة لحياتك. انظر للفشل على أنه فرصة للتعلم. اعرف ما النصيحة التي ينبغي أن تعمل بها. لا تنس أن تحظى بالمتعة.