Let’s face it—starting your own business from scratch is not for the faint of heart. Business owners experience decision-fatigue before noon on most days, and never feel like there are enough hours in the day. There’s always more to be done, and you’re likely to be the only one who can do it.

I know the feeling all too well.

A Fresh Start

After years of 70-hour work weeks in the advertising industry, I had to call it quits. I was mentally and physically destroyed from the constant urgency around every little task—none of which actually mattered in the real world—and I was left with almost no energy to figure out what to do next.

I needed a break, but I needed a paycheck too, so I turned to meditation.

I had learned the Transcendental Meditation® (TM®) technique five years before, but I let my practice take a backseat and allowed work to take over. When I decided enough was enough, I knew I needed to process my experience while also creating space to think about new opportunities.

My TM practice has given me the rest I needed so desperately, insight into what I cared about most, and the confidence to start my own business.

Energy. Clarity. Creativity. Connection.

Copeland and Co. is a full-service interior design shop.

Fast forward two years later, and I’m in charge of my own home-staging and interior-design company in Portland, Oregon. I’m still working 60 to 70 hours a week with the same sense of urgency in my tasks—my business rests on my shoulders! But I feel completely differently from how I felt before.

I credit nutrition and movement with being significant contributors to my overall health and happiness, but I wouldn’t have been able to be as efficient and effective in my business without the TM technique.

There are many aspects of the technique that I benefit from in my daily life. I feel clear, alert, and more able to process events logically and calmly. I have sustained energy throughout the day and sleep deeply every night.

I’m also more creative. And I feel more connected to other living creatures and appreciate the beauty around me.

An Extraordinary Abundance of Time

One of Copeland and Co.’s beautiful designs.

While I could write a book about each individual benefit I’ve found from TM, the most extraordinary change I experienced as I shifted to working for myself is the abundance of time.

Whether I’m just well rested and more alert, or am able to focus my energy on what matters most, I rarely feel like I’m racing against the clock.

Sure, there are days when I could use an extra few hours because I’m excited about the work I’m doing and don’t want to stop—like tonight, as I write this post. But I almost never feel like I have to sacrifice my relationships, hobbies, or sleep for tasks that need to get done.

When time does not constrain you, you are free to fill your life with the things that bring you the most joy.

Kat Maund’s story originally appeared in the TM Blog.

Katherine “Kat” Copeland Maund grew up in Augusta, Georgia, and attended Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont, where she majored in marketing. After graduating, she worked as a strategist at advertising agencies such as Instrument and Wieden & Kennedy, as well as the clothing brand Wildfang, before pursuing her passion and starting Copeland + Co., a home-staging and interior-design business in Portland, Oregon.