Administrative work is draining. Dealing with needy customers is draining. Meetings can be draining. Failing to convert a sale is draining. Performance managing underperforming employees is draining.
Solving problems can be invigorating. Making a sale or helping a client understand their needs and buy from you recharges you. Spending quality time with good friends and family recharges you. Reading a good book or your favourite hobby can recharge you.
Think about what makes you feel good, what is neutral and what exhausts you.
As a startup owner you are going to spend way too much of your life working on your business, so you need to be mindful of what drains you and what recharges you.
For example if you spend a week doing nothing but things that drain you I can pretty much guarantee that you will have really bad interactions with your family and colleagues. You may even think of giving it all up when despondency sets in.
If we come back to my favourite topic of work life balance and how you are unlikely to have a balance for the first year or two of your startup, then you can actually balance yourself out a bit with what kind of work you do. At least you can help your satisfaction and sanity.
For example, try and fit a bit of administration in every day, preferably just before or after lunch. That way, you use your early morning energy to get a lot of good work done, and make sure that you spend the last hour of the day doing things that you enjoy. That way, you feel better when you go home.
Another way to deal with the paperwork and drudgery is to put aside half a day on the weekend – Saturday morning would be ideal so the rest of the weekend is free to play.
Try mixing it up a bit and find what works for you - it will help you cope.
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