BOOK SUMMARY

WINNING WITHOUT LOSING (2013) by Martin Bjergegaard & Jordan Milne

Martin Bjergegaard is one of the founders of Rainmaking, an enterprise started in 2006 with 3 other friends with the purpose of creating great highly-successful companies without having to sacrifice fun, happiness and friends. His successful experience in Rainmaking and his extensive interviews with 25 business role models from all over the world have resulted in this book written with fellow entrepreneur and writer Jordan Milne which promises to teach us how to achieve success without sacrifice.

They wanted to bust the following myths regarding hard work and sacrifice:

1. The harder you work, the more money you make.
2. Success comes from sacrifice.
3. It is hard to be successful.
4. You need to choose between being a family person or a business person.
5. Balance is for retirement or after the 'big exit'.
6. There is no time to do it all.
7. Pushing yourself is necessary.
8. The winner is the one who works the hardest.
9. The more hours you work, the more impact you will have.
10. Being an entrepreneur means no holiday for several years.
11. Family and friends are for Sundays.

Their distillation of unique methods, mind-sets and secrets has been summarized as 66 strategies in the book as follows:

EFFICIENCY BOOSTERS

1. Gather a team of great co-founders.
2. Don't sit around and wait. Get out there and start something.
3. Pick a timely project.
4. Make it a habit to test everything on a small scale.
5. Put yourself in a high-energy, inspiring environment with other entrepreneurs.
6. Always look for ways to stand out.
7. Allow the new IT tools and technologies to do some of the work for you.
8. Make sure you spend enough time with your team.
9. Hook up with people who share your passion.
10. Listen intently to honestly understand the other's perspective.
11. Apply the Lean approach (optimized routine) to your daily activities.
12. Relax and enjoy the process.
13. Dare to follow your energy.
14. Meditate for 12 minutes a day
15. Make being fully rested a key priority.

NEW WAYS OF DOING OLD THINGS

16. Take walking, running or biking meetings.
17. Turn your 'To Do' list into a 'Today' list.
18. Build your own circle of knowledge.
19. Consciously insert mind-freeing moments throughout your day.
20. Don't try to get everything done, just the few things that matter.

TIME SAVERS

21. Choose the right project.
22. Avoid people who drain your energy.
23. If you have to get from A to B, be smart about it.
24. Deal with conflicts in person.
25. Don't delay tough decisions.
26. Clear your agenda of activities that don't add value to your life.
27. Don't let the details keep you from seeing the big picture.
28. Don't deal with, or be, an asshole.
29. Relax and let others contribute.
30. Get to the point.
31. Take every opportunity to get people excited about your project.
32. Be smart about raising money.
33. Don't be a slave to your emails.
34. Avoid unnecessary conflicts.

EMPOWERING THOUGHTS FOR TOUGH TIMES

35. Trouble = challenges = growth = happiness.
36. Each setback is a new opportunity.
37. Regardless of your current situation, winning without losing is possible for you.
38. It is all about making many attempts  (and persevering on the right ones).
39. People older (and younger) than you are starting up their first business today.

DESIGN ELEMENTS FOR A BALANCED LIFE

40. Pick a business that's suitable for balance.
41. Figure out how to acquire the skills to be prepared for your next venture.
42. Split up and protect your day, don't let work take it all over.
43. Think ahead to secure your future balance.
44. Always have access to fresh air.
45. Live somewhere that excites you.
46. Make sure you have enough people o pick from to be able to recruit your perfect co-founders.
47. Choose co-founders you genuinely like.
48. Make sure you (and your co-founders) are all in.
49. Make a simple product, a simple company and think simple thoughts.

LIFE QUALITY ENHANCERS

50. Do what you always wanted to do right now.
51. Notice and appreciate all that went well today.
52. Stick up for your balance.
53. Live life and get a new perspective.
54. Create flow by making shared goals and challenges in your private life.
55. Make a gift or a donation every week.
56. Use your self-disciple to focus on the tasks you are  passionate about.
57. Make sure your whole team has the opportunity for balance.
58. Find your sense of self-worth from more sources than just your business.
59. Focus first on your most important friends.
60. Take care of yourself first.

STEPS TO TAKE THIS WEEK

61. Work one hour, and just one hour, at full intensity.
62. Seize the next chance you get for an opportunistic mini-workout.
63. Start tomorrow by doing the thing that has been hanging over your head all week.
64. Spend 2 hours thinking about your purpose in life.
65. Write down what you waste your precious time doing that doesn't significantly add to either your performance or your happiness.
66. Take the day off! Celebrate, digest the Winning Without Losing message and rejuvenate!

Perhaps, by reading this book, we can end our search for the ever-elusive work-life balance!