Mastering the 100-hour work week - for females
When I have 100-hr work weeks, I have one thing in mind: maximizing sleep. I've had lots of busy weeks like this, unfortunately, and I've perfected a routine that helps gets me through. From the outside, it appears as through I've had a full night of sleep and ample time to get ready.
My morning routine is 20 minutes from bed to door:
-Wash face/brush teeth
-Run wet fingers through hair, then comb through with mousse into ponytail (mousse makes hair look wet/freshly washed all day)
-Pearl necklace, watch, diamond stud earrings
-Foundation and concealer - fresh, perfect skin is an absolute MUST if you want to look like you're able to handle your work hours with no problem
-Brooks Brothers non-iron dress shirt tucked in to black slacks or skirt
-Grab my food (pre-prepared meals from the weekend), phone, wallet, and out the door
I look exactly the same every day--I consistently wear a smooth, fitted dress shirt with nice jewelry, neat hair and clean skin. Looks like I actually had time to get ready.
On the subway I read the main headlines of the paper and eat my breakfast (something easy like a bagel or piece of toast).
Works out well--I arrive on time every day with a full belly, looking and feeling tidy, and informed of the day's headlines. And even though I'm dying for a nap on the inside, I appear a lot more prepared and ready to work than my peers.
this in banking? VC?
VC
im a dude and it takes me more than 20 minutes to get ready for work :(
so.... you don't shower ever...
No shower?
No morning shower, just at night after work
I'm not a girl and I don't work in VC, but I also swear by night showers and pre-prepared meals. Night showers are way better in my book because you go to bed clean every night .. who wants to sleep in their own ick all the time .. and you're way quicker in the shower when you're tired knowing that it's the last thing between you and some hard-earned sleep. I'm also surprised at how many people are absolutely clueless when it comes to cooking. It's a lifesaver. It'll save you more time in the end knowing you can just grab something out of the fridge when you're rushing in the morning and can eliminate the wait in line wherever you'd stop otherwise.
Night showers seem clutch but you just don't feel clean and alert the next day, at least in my experience. I love morning showers.
I do both. Actually wash myself at night and in the morning just stand there until I wake up
For me, morning showers are essential. Cannot wake up properly without them. Definitely +1 on the pre-making your food though!
20 minutes for a girl seems pretty rare, but good for you. Don't you wear other makeup, or style your hair (down)?
I love to wear other makeup and style my hair, but not when I work this many hours!
My 100-hour weeks are never straight VC work--it is a combination of office time and being active in the local startup scene. That means visiting incubators, going to every startup event I can possibly make it to, watching speakers and panels, etc.
Second that, double showers are the way to go. Relaxation + waker upper. However I had moments where I fell asleep in the showers before.
word, morning and night showers; especially in this fucking heat right now
I sweat too much over night that a morning shower is necessary, plus I'd be a zombie, if I could skip it. My wife showers at night sometimes, but it'd never work for me. That said, I can get'ER done all-in in 10 min...shower, teeth, gel, no shave...
....
Get from bed to fully dressed and fed in 5 minutes.
Takes me about 35-40 minutes to get out the door, that includes a bowl of cereal (with sportscenter of course), making bed, brushing teeth, shower, and dress. I never shave in the morning, always @ night after the gym.
Wouldn't be possible to not shower in the morning. I would feel grimy all day, plus my hair would get quite greasy.
Both night and morning. Usually I'll end up getting cow-licks from sleeping so I have to shower in the morning and I work-out at night so yeah.
so i assume the above replies were all from females...?
no shower in the morning? quit your crazy talk woman
bill clinton could do it in 7 minutes.
Why are you working 100-hour weeks in VC anyway? I thought that's for the bankers not the buyside.
Night showers aren't for everyone. Obviously if you sweat during your sleep you're going to need one in the morning, but if you hit the gym at night after work, you're already going to be taking one before sleep. Maybe I'm one of the lucky few who just don't need one in the morning, but on the point of needing it to wake up, I'm the opposite. If I take a morning shower, I'm half as efficient because I'm still drowsy. I'm under 10 minutes when I know it's the last thing standing between me and a decent night's rest. When I'm groggy in the morning, I can easily spend 20 in there before even knowing what's good.
You're not fooling anyone - hair that looks like it's wet all day long does not look "fresh" unless it's very short. And it's unprofessional. Why not wash it in the evening or use dry shampoo every now and then?
No morning shower? Wouldn't be possible for me.
People may be surprised to know some VC people work decent hours also. My usual day is 12 hours at the office. Then I usually do work at home. Don't work weekends too often but keeping up on the local VC and startup scene can take up time. For example - I have a 2 hour conference tonight after work and i'm going to a 9am-5pm conference on Saturday. Also, due diligence trips can tire you out. For example, one of my team members flew to Nashville yesterday, in office today, Atlanta tomorrow, back in office Friday.
My MD's are here from 8:30 - 5/7, usually forward me e-mails from new contacts to research that night while they're home with the family. Also, I'm tasked with having an initial sourcing call with 160-200 new companies a year - that takes a lot of time.
This just seems inefficient. Why not just spend the next day in ATL working remotely?
I just started doing 70-80 hrs/wk and it's been a little rough the first couple months...don't see how you guys are doing 100 haha. How long was it before you acclimated to spending your entire life in a cubicle?
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