Mark MacLeod says startup CEOs sabotage themselves with sleep deprivation, skipped exercise, and no boundaries. Poor sleep kills decision-making. He recommends 7-8 hours, three workouts a week, and blocking deep-work time instead of being constantly available.
Chapters
You're doing this whole CEO thing wrong. Most CEOs are doing 3 things that kill their performance and the potential of their business. And I can prove it. Answer this: When's the last time you slept for 8 hours? Or worked out 3 times in a week? Or had an actual meal that wasn't scarfed down between meetings? That's what I thought. We've been sold a lie. Grind harder. Sleep is for the weak. Dizziness is your badge of honor. You stopped tracking sleep because your device told you you're a bad sleeper. You skip workouts because you don't have the energy. You eat garbage at your desk. You run on fumes and caffeine. Here's the thing: you know it's unsustainable. You can feel it. You're on a one-way path to burnout. Every startup CEO I meet is somewhere on that path, maybe including you. Here's what nobody tells you: your company is only as strong as you are. You're not a machine that runs 24/7. You're the foundation. And foundations crack under constant stress. Think about it. When you're exhausted, your decisions suffer. When your brain is scattered, your team feels it. When you're burnt out, everything stops. You are the bottleneck. You are the leverage point. You are the foundation. So here's the better way. Sleep like it's your job, because it is. 7 to 8 hours, non-negotiable. Your brain needs it to function. Your decision-making depends on it. Exercise regularly. It's not vanity. It's energy. It's mental clarity. It's stress management. 3 times a week minimum. Eat real food. Not optimized, not hacked. Real food that exists in nature and fuels your body. Create time for deep work. Block it, protect it. This is where you actually move your company forward. Set healthy boundaries. You don't need to be available 24/7. You need to be present when it matters. And get the support you need. A coach, a therapist, a trainer, assistant, whatever it takes to be peak you. This isn't soft. This is strategic. You're playing the long game. Year after year growth, not a 2-year sprint to the hospital. Your company needs you at your best, not your busiest. Start with one thing this week. One change. What's it going to be? If you want to join a community of ambitious CEOs who are putting their health and themselves first, check out limitless.ceo.
