If you’re a prospective boomer entrepreneur and you’re wondering about how to run your business without exhausting yourself, I think that you’ll find this question and my answer, interesting.

Question: “I am in my late fifties, and although I am in pretty good physical shape, I know that I don’t have all the energy I used to have in my thirties. I seriously want to start my own business but I am concerned about how to successfully manage my business without wearing myself out. Can you suggest some ways to maintain a healthy balance?”

Answer:

Let me offer you some thoughts from my own business management regimen.

I’m in my sixties, so I have a few years on Brian.

I know a bit about managing one’s available energy.

I have developed the following routine through years of trial and error.

1. I try not sit at my desk for more than an hour at a time. Getting up and getting your blood flowing energizes your brain and makes doing creative work easier.

2. I do my best to get some physical exercise six days a week. Fortunately for me I live in a great neighborhood for walking. My wife and I catch up with the neighborhood gossip while we walk!

3. Each week I reserve one day with few calls scheduled so that I can take my time going back and forth with new ideas, without feeling rushed.

4. I delegate as much of the day to day detail as I can. Since I work largely virtually from a home office I use freelancers, online service providers, and local startup experts to help me turn my plans into action.

5. I don’t fly for business, unless there is absolutely no other way to conduct business with that individual (ever been stuck for hours at O’Hare – Well, I live in the Chicago suburbs so it’s my home airport!).

6. I sometimes take an afternoon nap!