To be honest, I have not been fully well for some time. Our world was rocked in early 2020 creating a global health/mental health pandemic, and it seems that has had a lot to do with it. Yet I sensed early tingling predating Covid so I am not 100% sure what was responsible for it.  But whatever it was… I have been shaken for some time now and I’m searching for answers to put an end to it.

The way I describe it is: no matter what I do or what Founders Live does, nothing ever feels enough. I don’t feel good enough. I don’t feel I am doing a good job. I don’t feel we’re “killing it” or whatever they say now. 

It got incrementally worse when lockdown hit and most people were confined to their homes, and things went virtual. There was a knee-jerk reaction to fight for relevance – to stay top of mind.

So a weird addiction started for me – just do more. I gotta do more, and more, and more… “I need to fight my way through this downturn and recession” I told myself. And when we did more as a company, even more responsibilities and daily tasks fell on my plate and in my life. I started to feel a sense of overwhelm. What started as a light tingle and has transformed into a loud ringing until I found myself standing on a cliff wondering if Burnout had forced me there.

Maybe you are out here standing on the edge of this cliff too?

I am not depressed. It’s not that life isn’t great as I travel and experience new cities – and of course I don’t take leading Founders Live for granted, it’s the best job in the world. In fact we continue to impact people and we continue to grow. Overall, things are good and the roadmap over the next few years is exciting and encouraging. But something has felt off… and it’s been bothering the heck out of me as to why. Why was I more frustrated and feeling more squeezed each and every month?

Balancing Mental and Emotional Health

Slowly, I am realizing I might have been paying attention to the wrong things. I admit to keeping track of and obsessing on external and vanity metrics. The good news is I have recently uncovered clues to improvement. There hasn’t been a way to quantify what I am feeling and experiencing at any moment – no scorecard or visual measurement of where I stand today mentally, emotionally, energetically. And no snapshot of the trendline over the last few weeks or months.

I have wondered how can a Founder maintain their composure, health, and well-being throughout the challenging times so they can experience the positive rewards and benefits of the entrepreneurial life? 

The answer to treking a healthier and more enjoyable entrepreneurial path lies in directly focusing on my health and wellbeing. By tracking, analyzing and taking account of how I am feeling and what I am experiencing – and making sure I take the appropriate steps to be “full of energy and inspiration” – allows me to better balance and maintain my entrepreneurial endurance and stamina as I build Founders Live.

That is why within Founders Live we are now turning our attention and focus to Entrepreneur Health and Wellness and building around the Ideal Founder – the complete Founder – if you will. 

In addition to the recently announced Ideal Founder Training Sessions, we are excited to announce the launch of the Founders First Scorecard, which is a new app built in partnership with Founders First Systems, and now available to the entire Founders Live community. 

The Health and Performance App for Entrepreneurs

You already track your business metrics. It’s time to bring that same level of attention to your most important asset. Yourself.

Prevent burnout. Manage your stress and sleep better. The Founder Scorecard was created by founders, for founders and in consultation with human performance experts, health researchers and psychologists.

With the Founders First Scorecard:

• Track your performance
• Join Weekly Challenges With Other Entrepreneurs
• Have a toolbox to optimize your health and wellbeing
• Regain your lost productivity
• Increase your energy
• Unlock your creativity
• Restore emotional balance
• Prevent burnout
• Build a bigger business

I have been using the app for a few weeks now, starting to see some trends and areas to work on, and I am personally committing to improving my entrepreneurial health and wellness. I encourage you to join me. Here is how I am going to use the Founder Scorecard to improve my life and performance. 

• I will be creating a scorecard daily – aiming for at least a few times per week
• I will be posting and writing about my experience
• I will be posting about my scores and what they are teaching me
• I will be looking for other leaders in the community to do the same
• We hope we can create a movement of healthier and more balanced entrepreneurs. 

Join me in improving your health and wellbeing with the Founders Scorecard!