Does this scenario sound familiar? You’ve been lost in your work for hours. You look at the clock to realize it is already 8 p.m. You’ve skipped dinner again. It’s been weeks since you exercised, and between the stress and anxiety of trying to get your company off the ground, your sleep has been less than ideal. You don’t want to go home until you can finish what you’re working on, but your brain feels like it is in a fog.
Entrepreneurs are visionary, optimistic and undeterred by failure. They are driven to succeed and willing to put in the work to get there. In pursuit of monumental success, entrepreneurs willingly accept longer work weeks, fewer holidays, more responsibilities and greater risk and uncertainty. Entrepreneurs are the lifeforce of innovation and economic growth and are critical to healthy economies.
But there is a cost. According to a study by Michael Freeman,1 72% of entrepreneurs reported mental health concerns, a rate significantly higher than in the comparison group. Entrepreneurs suffer from stress, burnout, loneliness and anxiety at higher rates than the rest of the population. Starting a new business is risky and takes a lot of work. Many entrepreneurs feel that they have to sacrifice their present lives to achieve future success.2
The truth is that it doesn’t have to be this way. If you prioritize your health now, you will be investing in your future success. Health is the foundation for everything else in life, especially your business.
Your health is your wealth
Energy is the foundation of your success. You want to operate at peak performance, which means taking care of your body to have the energy, vitality and stamina to perform at your best, even when the pressure is high.
Mind-body connection
Our bodies and minds do not operate independently. Your physiology impacts your emotions and thoughts. When you prioritize your health, you improve your ability to make decisions, weather difficulties, solve problems, think creatively and manage stress.
Health is a long-term investment
You might think you can neglect your health in the short term to get ahead in your business. You may tell yourself that you will eat healthier and get more sleep once you get your business off the ground. Instead, bring the same passion to your health as you do to your business, no matter what stage it’s in. Consider it an investment in long-term sustainability. If you neglect your health, you’ll face decreased productivity now, burnout in the near future, and eventual failure. Your health is not optional.
Model successful entrepreneurs
If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and model what they do, and you'll achieve the same results.
The most successful entrepreneurs know that prioritizing their health is not a distraction but a crucial element of their achievement.
Apple CEO Tim Cook wakes up at 4:30 a.m. to exercise every day. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey incorporates meditation, fasting and regular exercise into his daily routine. He believes healthy habits are essential to maintaining peak mental clarity.
After experiencing severe burnout, Arianna Huffington (founder of Huffington Post and Thrive Global) became an advocate for sleep and stress management. Through research, she learned that as a driver of success, sleep is just as important—if not more important—than hard work.
A health coach keeps you accountable.
Health coaching is a specific type of life coaching for entrepreneurs that will help you achieve specific and consistent results in your health habits and overall performance.
A health coach will give you advice and recommendations that cut through the web of trends, fads and diets. They will work with you to create plans and strategies addressing your needs and goals. Whether you want more energy, to get sick less often, lose weight, feel less back pain, eat healthier or just create sustainable daily habits, a health coach has a toolbox of strategies for lasting results.
One of the reasons a health coach is so effective at getting results is that they keep you accountable. They close the gap between where you are and where you want to be in a fraction of the time it would take you on your own. Here’s why accountability works:
Measure progress
You can’t manage what you can’t measure. You are more likely to stay consistent with your goals if you see results, and measuring helps you see and celebrate your progress. Progress brings happiness at the moment, not just when you get to your end goal. A health results coach will help you focus on progress; when you focus on your progress, you will be pulled toward your goals. It creates an upward spiral of momentum that cascades into all areas of life.
Overcome obstacles
How many times do we start a new habit or routine only to have it derailed within a matter of months or even weeks? While we might blame any number of things, the greatest obstacle to achieving our health goals is fear—fear of failure, fear of discomfort, fear that we will have to give up things we enjoy or fear that we are losing time we should be spending on other things.
A good health coach knows how to help you move past fear. Their accountability strategies will keep you from becoming paralyzed or giving up on your goals. With the guidance of a personal coach, you’ll see that failure is a gift that allows you to learn and grow. You’ll summon the courage to face your fears and move forward, transforming your life.
Prioritizing health for an extraordinary life
As an entrepreneur, your health is your greatest asset and an asset you can control. So much of life is outside of our control, but managing your physical state is 100% within your control and there’s power in that. Leveraging a coach to optimize your health is one of the best investments you can make in your future. You will unlock new levels of energy, productivity, creativity and fulfillment. You became an entrepreneur because you wanted to build an amazing life. Prioritize your health so you can live that amazing life to its fullest.
1https://michaelafreemanmd.com/Research_files/Are%20Entrepreneurs%20Touched%20with%20Fire%20(pre-pub%20n)%204-17-15.pdf
2https://drive.google.com/file/d/148NmRCXzLAsZ6-vGmWW-zlDPmu9vGGhU/view
