Things You Give Up For Success

“Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.” Dalai Lama
— Brian Halligan (@bhalligan) May 18, 2014

When I saw the tweet above today it caused me to reflect on the things that I gave up to be an entrepreneur. I’ve seen others give up things as well. Here are some common elements that are substituted out:

• Physical fitness – overeating, sedentary behavior, and lack of exercise contribute to a loss of physical fitness. It is not worth it. Poor health takes more out of your productivity than the time it takes to stay fit.
• Social life – time going out with friends.
• Personal time – less time for being alone, reading, hobbies, etc.
• Family time – fewer/shorter vacations, less meals together, etc.
• Mental health – some people cannot cope with the stress of being out on their own.

I had a conversation with a friend today who is an investment banker. He works a crazy number of hours each week, arriving at the office at 9am every day and never leaving before midnight. Often he stays until 4am. Like entrepreneurs, he is sacrificing many of those things to find career success.

I personally have made some of these substitutions in my life to give my startups greater attention. I regret some of them; I don’t regret others. All along the way, I was consciously aware of the substitutions I was making. I think it is important to be honest with yourself about that.

What things do you see others giving up to achieve success?