Many business owners and professionals spend a lot of their time on self-development, networking, and building partnerships to support business growth. To run and grow a business takes massive amounts of time, energy, and focus.
A lot of people (including myself) blog about how to improve your business around technology, sales, marketing, self-development, etc. However, business owners & entrepreneurs often neglect one key area: THEMSELVES!
What’s the missing link when it comes to business growth?
You can work 60+ hours per week, network like a machine, and burn the candle at both ends, but eventually if you don’t take care of the right areas, it will catch up with you. This can have massive negative impacts on your business and, more importantly, your health.
Take care of YOUR well-being!
Well-being is a state of being comfortable, happy, and healthy both mentally and physically. When your well-being is neglected, things around you — like family, your team, and your business — will be impacted too.
Benefits of focusing on your well-being
There are many benefits to focusing on your well-being, but some of the advantages include:
- Improved physical and mental health
- Higher energy levels
- Ability to focus
- Better support family and teams
8 Ways to improve
If you’re looking to improve your well-being, boost your energy, and take your business to the next level, there are a number of small, but effective changes you can make. Some areas to consider include:
- Exercise – Regular exercise is not only good for your health, but great for building habits and supporting a healthy mindset. Mobility is also important so stretch daily and use a foam roller to release pressure in your muscles.
- Nutrition – Eating the right stuff at the right time can help boost energy levels. I have found that a high fat and protein diet (low-carb), and eating smaller portions more regularly works best for me.
- Hydration – An obvious one, but a lot of people think they are drinking enough water when really, they are not. If you already hydrate a lot during the day, increase by having one pint of water before you sleep and another as soon as you wake up. This will also help with energy and concentration.
- Biohacking – Biohacking can be as little or as big as you make it. I recommend looking at small ‘hacks’ like changes to diet or habits to improve performance. For example, I often enjoy a ‘bullet proof coffee’ (coffee with butter and coconut oil), as it is proven to boost energy and focus.
- Sleep – This is one of the most important and over looked areas. Without enough sleep your focus, energy, and health will suffer. It’s hard to find what’s right for you, but everyone is different. I function at 100 percent when I’ve had approx. 6-7 hours of sleep, others may be okay with less, and other people may need over 8 hours. Ignore the other business owners who post about getting up at 4am and getting 4 hours sleep. These individuals are so busy working, that they are on a path to burnout.
- Take a break – In a busy, fast paced environment taking breaks is often forgotten. However, it’s an important aspect you need to factor in when working at a computer for long hours. I use time blocking. Block 1-2 hours’ worth of work, with a few minutes in-between to stretch or leave the desk for a short period, before hitting the next time block of work.
- Habits and routines – Making all these changes to your daily routine, training, and eating habits can be tough to implement. Consistency and repetition need to be equipped to create habits around these healthy practices. I find planning my work and exercise a week in advance on a calendar helps me stay on track. I also meal prep on the day before to ensure I stay on track with healthy decisions even when I’m busy.
- Environment – The environment, office, and desk you work in have a big impact on your mood, mindfulness, and productivity. If your office is loud and manic, and your working space is a mess, this will cause unnecessary stress and distractions. Instead, create a controlled working environment with a well organised and tidy desk. Changing your environment here and there can also boost productivity. I find working from home 1-2 days per week with my stand-up desk works to charge my mindset and energy, and often cultivates creative thinking.
Let’s talk…
To achieve overall success, MSP business owners need to remember to look beyond building their business and work on themselves. This will improve your success, focus, and energy — which will propel your business to new heights! If you would like to talk about this blog, business, or fitness feel free to tag me using my Twitter handle: @mikejdouglass
Photo: Brian Erickson / Unsplash
