Be honest: Are you working at your absolute peak? Just look at The Rock. Sure he’s charismatic and a strong actor, but how does he fly across the world to record back-to-back films with barely a moment to rest? It’s because he’s in incredible shape. The Rock gets the most out of his acting chops because he obsesses over his health.
That same idea applies to you as an entrepreneur. Treat your body well — eat right, challenge your body, get proper sleep — and you’ll reward yourself with more energy, greater focus, and a heightened level of discipline. You’ll achieve new levels of productivity while your competition falls behind and watches you scale faster and faster.
Today I’m sharing with you three ways a healthy lifestyle will transform you into a world-class entrepreneur — and stack more dollars in your bank account. Specifically, I want you to understand why sleep, exercise and nutrition are the keys to the success of today’s most influential entrepreneurs, artists, experts, thought leaders, industry titans and anyone else who performs at a high level.
Get sleep, so you can be your business’s clear-headed leader.
“The snooze button is the single worst invention for sleep ever.”
That’s what sleep expert Michael Breus says, and it’s damn true. His theory is that the extra “sleep” we get from hitting the snooze button is actually “light, fragmented sleep” that leaves us feeling groggy, not refreshed.
That bad sleep destroys the rest of your day. As entrepreneurs, we’re on our feet all day making decisions left and right. The buck stops and starts with us. You think someone can do that when they’re foggy in the head and running on fumes?
Sleep is critical if you want to effectively lead your business. You need a clear head in order to negotiate big-money deals, effectively communicate with your team and inspire others through the social media content you produce. You owe it to yourself, your clients and your team to stay well-rested and alert.
Hitting snooze does something to you psychologically as well. When you hit the snooze button, you subconsciously tell yourself that five more minutes of low-quality sleep is more important than accomplishing your life’s mission.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t rest knowing that there are still so many entrepreneurs out there with struggling businesses that need my help. You shouldn’t settle either. Structure your evening so you get deep, uninterrupted sleep. Then, structure your morning so you can jump out of bed and tackle everything on your to-do list.
Sleeping better is just one way you can get an edge on the rest of your competition. Next it’s time to hit the gym and prepare your body and mind for the rigors of business.
Work out to build up your emotional resilience.
You think I like going to the gym, grunting through those grueling workouts and sweating like a madman? No, I don’t like it — I love it. Why? Let me come back to that in a second …
Your best comes out when your back is against the wall. All entrepreneurs hit tough times — they might be in the red for months at a time, or they might have critical team members disappear right when they need them most.
Working out teaches you how to face adversity head-on. For example, when you go to the gym, you lift weights. As you tack on more weight, you gain muscle and grow stronger. If you want your muscles to grow, then they need to be challenged.The same thing applies to business. A former employee might steal some of your clients away from you, or your product launch might not make nearly enough sales to cover the cost. If you work out, you learn to count those setbacks as blessings, because you know that resistance eventually results in personal growth and professional achievement. All of a sudden you begin to respond with reason, rather than react on emotion.
Learn to embrace the uncomfortable moments that come with being an entrepreneur — the tough talks with slacking employees, the market changes that force you to pivot your business, etc. — because when you do, you come out the other side a wiser and more decisive entrepreneur.
But, what about eating healthy? Master this last health habit and become an unstoppable, unbreakable entrepreneur, one who can practically print money at will.
Eat right to develop a reliable routine.
We all can agree that eating right has its benefits: You live longer, you have more energy and you think more clearly. An entrepreneur that eats right will embody all of these advantages, but they’ll also gain something else: They’ll install a daily routine in their lives.
Again, how you do anything is how you do everything. Let’s say an entrepreneur eats unhealthy and never works out. You’d probably chalk that up to a lack of discipline, right? If you took a closer look at his life, I’d bet you’d find that he also lacks discipline in the way he managed his daily tasks, or in how he invests the profit his business makes.
Routine opens the door to seize complete control of your life. When you eat right, even when you don’t want to, you begin to wrap your head around how one good habit can lead to huge positive changes in your life. Soon, you begin to develop good habits in other areas of your life — such as in your business.
Every night, Tim Ferriss follows a five-step routine that includes turning his phone on “airplane mode” and blocking out the noise around him. I love to wake up early, grab a protein shake and play with my dog, and then spend the early hours crushing the work that makes my business the most money. When you exercise that level of discipline, it spills into the rest of your day: You build momentum and win the confidence you need to move your business forward.
To put it simply: Sleep, exercise and nutrition are pivotal if you’re serious about building a profitable, sustainable, scalable business. A lot of entrepreneurs overwork themselves and never get sleep, or they complain that they’re “too busy” for the gym. In the end, it always catches up to them. Make your health a priority so you can make better decisions, keep a level head at all times, and scope out new ways to make money and expand your empire’s influence and impact.