When you consider all of the feats you need to accomplish on any given day, you realize you're not simply an entrepreneur -- you're an entrepreneur athlete. As with any great athlete, the key to success is the right training regimen.
Trouble is, most of us are so fully engaged in our business that we forsake the training and healthy choices that will not only help us be more financially successful but also give us a better life overall.
So how do we get ourselves to peak performance? That's exactly what Debi Silber is all about. A nationally recognized health and lifestyle consultant and coach known as The Mojo Coach, Silber knows full well the dangers of ignoring your health in favor of tackling more work. In 2008, Silber suffered a series of debilitating chronic health problems that lead to major surgery. As she recovered, she developed her own program for whole body health -- and today organizations such as UBS, The American Cancer Society and Wyndham Worldwide seek out her expertise.
Debi points to four main areas that we as entrepreneurs need to focus on to work, look, feel and live at the top of our game.
1. Body. We all know exercise is crucial to better health. But too often we focus on exercise at the expense of other key body areas such as our diets. That's a mistake, says Silber, who recommends you start by getting your nutritional intake in order. "You can't outtrain a bad diet. When you do only fitness, the best you'll do is break even and you'll get so frustrated because you're putting the time in and it's not showing results," she says. "By nailing down nutrition, you'll feel so much better and gain confidence, and your exercise routine will have a bigger impact."
One of your main targets should be sugar, which Silber believes is the biggest culprit in keeping our entrepreneurial energy low due its addictive qualities. But ultimately, better nutrition comes down to smarter planning and not leaving your diet up to chance. Having healthy on-the-go foods at the ready at all times keeps your energy up and shuts down cravings that throw you off track. "Ask yourself how you can navigate your day so you feel good about your food choices," says Silber. "What restaurants can you go to and what choices can you make no matter where you are that you feel good about? That's success as far as eating goes."
2. Mindset. Even if we have our eating and exercise locked down, our minds can steer us off course quickly. It's all about the beliefs that we have -- and a belief is simply the repetition of an idea. "Someone you trusted said something to you enough times that it became your belief system," says Silber. "That could really serve you or it could really hold you back."
The key is to question those beliefs and assess if they really make sense for us. Silber suggests writing down your answers to statements like "I am so...", "I can't..." and "I'll never..." to do a reality check on your beliefs and decide if your answers are really what you believe -- or if your just repeating someone else's words. "We're driven by a lot of subconscious beliefs that can sabotage us. It's almost like with an iceberg: It's the 90 percent below the water line that wrecks the ship, and that's what you have to spot and avoid," says Silber.
Once you identify any false beliefs you've been operating under, you can consciously seek out new sets of information that feel authentic and true to you -- and start bringing those beliefs to your decision making process at work and at home.
3. Image. The way you present yourself is extremely important when it comes to inspiring others to take action. "Your image can be a bridge or a barrier. You can have the most life-changing message, but if your image is either bland or over the top, you won't be heard," says Silber.
Perhaps even more important: Your image needs to be congruent with your messaging. Increasingly, we want to work and deal with people who are authentic and are living their message. Image plays a huge role in communicating that authenticity.
One smart, simple way to work on your image: Visualize who you are at your physical, mental and emotional best, and make that your ideal bulls-eye to aim for. By painting a mental picture that is bold, bright and clear, you'll know exactly which action steps to take to make that picture real. "Anything that has manifested was initially a thought that was expressed into physical form. It's the same with us," says Silber. "If we want to become our physical, mental and emotional best, we have to have that idea in place. We have to express it and take the actions to become it."
4. Lifestyle. Silber includes in this category things like the chronic stress that comes from toxic professional and personal relationships. Ask yourself if the relationships you have are inspiring, encouraging and supportive or if they leave you feeling drained and depleted. "Your body is wired to keep you safe. If a car is coming at you, you're going to jump the curb to safety. You ignite that stress response," she says. "With chronic stress, it's as if you're jumping to the curb to safety 24-7. Over time you can imagine how that can completely and totally exhaust your body."
Think about which of these four areas hasn't gotten the attention from you that it deserves, and look for ways to start adjusting your behavior. From quick steps like cutting out sugar here and there and moving around a little more often to more advanced solutions like creating an entirely new belief system, there are a huge number of action steps you can start taking right away -- any one of which will help you move toward the peak performance you want in your business, and in your life.
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