I'm a designer who turned into a writer who turned into a startup CEO. My mission is to help creators earn a living. Subscribe for essays on building an audience and earning a living as a creator.
My 5 non-negotiable wellness habits
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Hey Reader, When building a creator business or startup, it's easy to pour all of your energy into work and neglect your wellbeing. Over the years, I've discovered the habits supporting my physical and mental health are just as crucial to my success as any business strategy. Here are five wellness practices that help me stay focused: 1. WorkoutsWorkouts are non-negotiable on my calendar. In the past year, I've built a much stronger gym habit and I make sure to protect this time. One of my biggest annoyances is when team members schedule meetings over my workout times. Tim Ferriss talks about the emotional rollercoaster of building a business and how you'll have good days and bad days. But fitness goals give you a way to still find wins even when business is tough. If you have a disappointing day at work, a solid workout can still make the day feel like a success. The physical benefits are obvious, but I've found the mental clarity that comes from regular exercise to be just as valuable. 2. SportsI love sports—volleyball especially. Although I also enjoy soccer and wake surfing. These activities force me to focus entirely on the present moment. There's no room to worry about work when a volleyball is flying at your face. This kind of complete focus gives your brain a break from the demands of running a business. Similar to how I feel when flying a plane, sports require my full attention. The intensity creates a kind of forced mindfulness Team sports also fulfill the social connection we need. Building a business can be isolating at times, and having regular interaction with people outside of work keeps you grounded. 3. WalksWalks have been really beneficial for giving space to ideas. When I’m away from screens and moving my body, thoughts flow more naturally. I use an app that Ali Abdaal made called Voice Pal which lets you hit record, talk, and it produces a transcript which it then rewrites to sound like you. And you can sync that note to wherever you want. When I'm stuck on a difficult decision or creative challenge, a 30-minute walk provides clarity I wouldn’t have found at my desk. A lot of the content I've written has actually come from getting away from the screen, taking a walk, and speaking my thoughts. I also use a walking pad under my desk and walk while on zoom meetings. That makes it easy to walk 10,000+ steps per day. 4. SleepWhile I’m not someone who needs 9–10 hours of sleep, getting at least 7–8 hours makes a huge difference in my ability to focus and make good decisions. On days after poor sleep, my creativity is low, I have less patience, and my strategic thinking suffers. Sacrificing sleep is rarely worth it, so I try to prioritize it. The amount of sleep needed will be different for everyone, but once you find the right amount for you, do what you can to make it happen. Go to bed at a consistent time, and set up your environment for sleep. Your future self will thank you. As my kids have gotten older (my youngest is now 5) sleep has improved significantly. If you have young kids and are in the thick of it, I'm sorry! But know that it gets better! 5. JournalingJournaling is really useful for processing complex situations. I've even gotten a lot of our team to start journaling. Whenever I’m facing conflict or difficult decisions, I like to use these four questions I learned from our coaches at Reboot:
The last question is especially powerful for taking ownership of situations and focusing on what I can control. — What I've learned is the best wellness routine is one you'll actually maintain. Find activities that provide both movement and mental rest. Look for opportunities where you can experience total immersion—that state of flow where your brain fully disconnects from work stress. These five practices, for me, aren't just nice-to-haves. They're the foundation that enables my creative and business success. Without them, I couldn't sustain the focus and energy I need to build and run Kit. What wellness habits keep you focused and creative? Have you found any specific practices helpful for maintaining balance while building your business? PODCASTHow to Pick a Business You ACTUALLY EnjoyFeeling stuck on what business to start? You're not alone. Isaac French rejoins me on the podcast for a coaching session. We discuss his next moves after turning a $2.3 million property investment into a $7 million exit. We map out his options—from launching a content agency, to building more properties, to scaling his YouTube presence— and discuss:
Watch or listen to episode » KIT FEATURETrack your subscribers’ journey with attribution dataCurious how your most valuable subscribers found you? Kit lets you trace each person's path to your list directly from their subscriber profile page. When you add tracking parameters to your links, such as referral source and UTM tags, you'll see detailed attribution data that reveals their discovery story. This new attribution data on each subscriber’s profile page includes:
To view this data, visit any subscriber's profile in your account and find the "Attribution" section on the left-hand side. Don't have a Kit account yet? VIDEOI asked President Obama if he's DEPRESSED!?Last year, Hasan Minhaj had Barack Obama on his podcast. It’s a really genuine, human interview. It’s also interesting to me how even those who’ve had mainstream success (Hasan has several Netflix specials) still focus on platforms like YouTube. The same with Tom Brady and his YouTube vlog. It’s also fun that both of them are Kit customers. Have a great week! —Nathan |
Nathan Barry
I'm a designer who turned into a writer who turned into a startup CEO. My mission is to help creators earn a living. Subscribe for essays on building an audience and earning a living as a creator.
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