[elbrodeur]

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES GIVE UP THE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY

Your work may bring you satisfaction, joy and the desire to work long hours; but that ebbs and flows. Some weeks you'll be so excited to be eating ramen noodles and building something that is distinctly yours, the next you may be stressed out about the fact that you haven't figured out how to monetize.

This is why it's important to recharge -- even if you don't think you need it.

Me? I like backpacking. We were bootstrapped for 6 months before closing serious angel money and once a month I left friday night and came back sunday evening. Once a month I couldn't work on the weekend. And even though it was expensive at the time, it made me sane and filled up my gas tanks for a month.

Working 12-14 hour days is fine as long as you do something that makes you happy and refuels you when you need it. If 1 hour a day is what you need, it's an extremely small price to pay for peace of mind. Additionally, my bet is that you'll actually perform better at work.