What Entrepreneurs Do in The Shower
Before you begin to cringe after having read the title line for this post, don’t worry…it’s not what you are (probably) thinking. It’s about a habit I have made use of over the years that often leads to entrepreneurial ideas and a better grasp on life.
FACT: We get caught up in the activities of daily life that we often fail to step back and assess the tasks we do, the outcomes we desire.
Self-assessing the day and reflecting on the significant events is something few people actually do. Encapsulated in the common “examen” concept of refection and contemplating one’s strengths and weaknesses, the act of reflecting does not have to be held to the same level as cleaning gutters. It doesn’t have to be a written dialogue in a journal, nor does it have to be anything formal at all — as long as it works for you.
This is where the shower comes into play. In my own personal life, I enjoy taking extended showers at times, not because I seek to run up the water meter, but because this is often my place of reflection. Some opt to sing (usually badly) aloud in the shower, but if that’s not quite your thing, this may be a good alternative to test.
As an entrepreneur, the day is often filled with numerous discombobulated tasks that are jut “done” with little thought, as they often have to be under a world of time constraints, deadlines, and ‘ASAP requests’. Rather than postponing reflecting and debriefing events and thoughts, it is easy to add them within your current daily routine.
Thinking in the shower may sound off-putting, maybe counter-intuitive to the practical purpose of taking a shower to re-freshen. But as I have learned, taking a few moments (say even 3 minutes) while in the shower to reflect goes a long way. That in itself is a mental refreshment.
It doesn’t require spiral-bound notebooks of copiously crafted notes. It doesn’t require any additional time allotment beyond the normal routine of your day. It does, though, ultimately offer an outlet to contemplate your current tasks — complete and upcoming — and help better orient yourself towards ensuring they are achieved as you desire.
I have worked to memorize speeches in the shower; run-through pitches for our startup Xperii; especially, I have been able to summarize through a sort of mental “checklist” how things are progressing, and what things I may seek to work more on. Through this approach, the hectic hustle of the day can be sorted and some of the best entrepreneurial thoughts can be formulated in a most unexpected place.
Many of us shower already as part of our routines. Why not add some helpful reflection into the mix?
What do you do uniquely to foster innovation and ideas in the shower? Post your thoughts in the ‘comments’ below and join the discussion.
Daniel S. Williams is a graduating Advanced-Standing Senior at Boston College in the Carroll School of Management majoring in Management, with a concentration in Finance. Daniel has previously worked at several firms and startups fostering client-interactions, handling taxes, banking and filing systems, as well as marketing initiatives. He has been a part of SaaS startup Xperii since its inception leading business development efforts, and has served advisory roles with other ventures. Connect with @XperiiApp on Twitter.
