Arianna Huffington Afternoon Tea
by Dianna
Recently I attended the Business Chicks afternoon tea with Arianna Huffington, the founder of the influential news website The Huffington Post. It’s easy to admire someone who founded a business in 2005 and sold it just six years later for $315 million.
I won’t give away all her secrets; instead I’ll share the advice that most resonated with me.
Get your sleep. Without sleep, you won’t make good decisions and you won’t perform in your role. When you’re overworked, tired and stressed you miss those red flags and wind up making your worst mistakes. Successful people sleep. Don’t read business books at night—that will get your brain buzzing with ideas and inspiration. That’s all good, but not right before you sleep. At night read your fiction books; you need to disconnect to reconnect.
Digital detox. Take time away from the screen, especially at night, if you want to get the aforementioned sleep.
Don’t compare. Comparing yourself with others is a trap; nothing good can come from it.
Redefine success. Success isn’t about money or power. Arianna likens it to a three legged chair: if you had a chair with only two legs (success and power) you’d fall over. Adding the third leg of wellbeing and you have balance.
Your eulogy won’t be your resume. What do you want to be remembered for? The value of your company or the number of people who report to you don’t matter in the end. It will be how you connected with people and how you made them feel. You are more than your job.
Since hearing Arianna’s words of wisdom, I’ve changed my use of the phone. I have been putting my phone by the front door when I arrive home and giving my kids undivided attention for the evening. Before, when I was up in the night with them, I always checked my phone for emails, but I’ve stopped doing that too, and feeling my sleep is all the better for it.