There’s a big up-and-coming space in business in the next 5 years. Much like what happened in NYC with fitness gyms like SoulCycle and Bikram Yoga, there will be an emerging counterpart in meditation. It’s clear that people are spending too much time “on” and the business of meditation will be the counterculture movement to help people switch “off.” And, I can’t wait till it happens and I get to hear about the benefits I know it will have on people close to me. But, I can tell you right now that I don’t see myself being a part of it. I’ve never meditated and don’t see myself doing it anytime soon.
When you’re a full-time entrepreneur like me and are always hacking productivity and efficiency levels, working 18 hours a day and then talking about it with the world, mental health and efficiency are common questions I get asked. “What’s your morning routine?” “What do you do to stay focused?” “Do you meditate?” “Do you take any performance enhancing supplements?” The answer to all of these things is always “No, never.”
Despite whatever your predisposition is on what a person needs to do to have insane levels of energy and a work ethic like me, I can tell you I don’t do any of them. Despite the comments I get on my YouTube videos asking how much cocaine I’m on, I’ve never even tried a cigarette. Despite all the questions on how many energy drinks I consume in a day, I only maybe have a cup of coffee in the morning (and even then, more as a comfort food instead of an energy boost).
I’m not chugging Red Bulls, taking drugs, or meditating. I don’t take time to meditate and have no interest in doing so. It’s just how I’m wired. My team was laughing at me when I live-streamed for 8 hours straight for my book launch: I sat down in my chair and didn’t leave the room once for 8 hours. No bathroom breaks, no lunch, just straight business. My brother AJ even called me a robot for a similar episode when I worked for more than 24 hours straight.
Over the last two years, I’ve changed my diet and I work out every day and the physical changes have been amazing to see. But, it never improved or changed my energy levels or the clarity of focus I have on my goals (yet, I assume there will be benefits down the line). The truth is, I’m just so damn happy and focused that I don’t need the time “off” or away that meditation offers. My mental health is at an all-time level for me. I don’t meditate because I don’t want to mess with what I have going. I just don’t. Why would I play with my brain if I’m incredibly happy and satisfied with it? It’s uninteresting to me. And again, it’s uninteresting to me. I’m grateful to be wired the way I am, and it works for me. There are a lot of amazing things that I don’t do that many of you might partake in. Meditation is one of them. If meditation works for you, then good. If it’s valuable to you, that’s a great use of your time. My “meditation” is being “me.” Because, to me, I meditate 24/7 in parallel with my life.
That said, I fully expect to invest and watch this space emerge and become a dominant force in the American and global business world over the next 3, 5, or 7 years. This is a ripe space based on what I am observing and I implore many of you that have interest in this space to go “all in” and let the market come to you.
Image credit: CC by Nickolai Kashirin