Let’s shoot straight.
It’s both demanding and rewarding to be an entrepreneur in today’s high stress, “go-go-go” world.
Am I right?
Maybe you’re feeling the pressure too.
That’s why you gotta take good care of yourself on the daily.
Which means creating healthy HABITS.
And that actually reminds me…
My good friend Amy Porterfield -- gosh I miss her energy here in San Diego.
She moved to Nashville at the end of last summer.
Anyway, she’s doing great work wherever she is.
And she just dropped a freebie you gotta get your hands on.
It’s called “6 Daily Habits To Swear By So You Can Create More Freedom & Live Your Best Life.”
I mean that sounds awesome, right?
More on that in a few….
Now entrepreneurs, biz owners, and creative professionals… we often have different needs and challenges than our corporate, 9-5 buddies.
So let’s talk about 6 habits that can specifically help entrepreneurs like us lead more successful, healthy, and happy lives.
We’ll start with habit number one.
And that's keeping your biz separate from your private life.
Both on- and off-line, LOL.
In our digital age, there is ONE simple way to keep your biz in its rightful place.
And that’s by NOT inviting everyone into your personal social media world.
I know this sounds counterintuitive for a small biz owner… but it really WILL save your sanity.
And the sanity of your friends and family. LOL
For instance, on Facebook, create a business page and promote your biz there.
Keep all business-related communication and contacts there, too.
I highly suggest keeping a personal profile for ONLY family and friends.
You don't want to cross those lines.
I’ve seen it go wayyyyy wrong if you don’t set proper boundaries.
In fact, this is something newbie network marketers do wrong A LOT.
It actually can harm your relationships in real life!
So do it the smart way… have a personal account and a separate biz or creator account.
You can totally invite your personal contacts over… and they’ll come if they’re interested.
But don’t do a biz takeover of your personal accounts...
...and that goes for all of social media.
Whatever platforms you use for biz purposes shouldn’t interfere or cross-pollinate with your private social outlets, ok?
Another great habit successful entrepreneurs cultivate is to start and stop your work on time.
AKA: Start scheduling your work life.
Yes I know this one is SUUUUUPPPPER hard.
Especially if you’re in the early stages of your biz… and you feel like time is money.
But here’s what you totally gotta realize.
If you don’t manage your time well, and you let your biz completely take over your life, you’ll run the risk of burning out.
And when that happens… all of your effort and hard work… well that shiz won’t matter anymore.
Time management is not just for your biz… it’s for your WHOOLLLLE life.
It’s crazy easy to let your biz run right over you.
Without discipline, it can sneak over into your personal space -- like Xander on our bed. LOL
And if that’s allowed to happen day in and day out, then you’re gonna have a serious problem in the long run. Like brown fur on white sheets. LOL
But one that’s actually gonna limit your success and growth.
Implementing a solid schedule is a smart move.
When you make your schedule, be sure to incorporate activities for your private time.
Things you actually LIKE.
Maybe it’s hitting that new dance fusion class (Madeline’s hip hop has got me thinking)… or getting together with your girlfriends for dinner.
Or ya know what?
Go right ahead and schedule binge watching Ted Lasso.
Have you seen that show?
OMG, it’s sooooo freaking good.
Totally worth the Apple TV subscription alone. LOL
So yes, drop your fun time activities into your calendar… and let nothing interfere.
Especially not with your Ted Lasso time. LOL
If you’re sensing an emerging theme so far…
...it’s that we entrepreneurs are notoriously bad about setting boundaries between work and personal life.
And if there are two entrepreneurs in the family?
OMG, without a commitment to set firm stop times each day, everyone will be working all night long. LOL
Quick pro tip about setting boundaries: It’s important to communicate limits and expectations.
Whether it’s to your clients or your team, when it comes to your biz… you’re the boss.
So it’s up to YOU to make sure boundaries are established.
And that everyone knows business doesn’t reign over your personal life.
I mean… yes.
We all have smartphones.
And some days it’s nearly impossible to avoid the temptation to access work in the evenings or on your planned time off.
One thing you can do is simply setting a timer on your phone as a reminder to log out of ALLLLLL of your work-related platforms.
My friends… I. Mean. Everything.
Your work emails, your social media platforms... everything.
Save and close your docs.
Shut that laptop down.
When you're done for the day… You. Are. Done.
Learn it... live it!
Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox now. LOL
But I think you get the gist about boundaries now, right?
And how important they are, not only for biz, but also for mental and emotional health.
On to the next habit we need to incorporate to be happy, healthy, SANE entrepreneurs…
Don't place all your vegan eggs in one basket!
I mean, how many times have you heard THAT in your life?
Ok maybe not the vegan thing.
That’s definitely a me spin. LOL
But you know what I mean.
The advice about not having all your eggs in one basket is just as important for your business NOW…
As it was back when you were 14 and soooooo in love with that cute guy who didn’t know you existed.
You know… the one who blinded you to every other guy who was crushing on you at the same time.
Turns out, your grandma WAS right. LOL
In terms of your biz, not having your eggs all in one basket refers to HOW YOU MAKE YOUR MONEY.
You gotta learn how to diversify your revenue streams.
If you don't diversify and you keep your whole biz in just one area....
Not only are you playing a dangerous game that’s dependent upon the economy…
You’re also losing out on serious financial potential.
So you gotta find out what “diversification” means for YOUR particular biz.
Stay solid in what’s working… put most of your energy and focus there…
But dabble in something new at the same time.
I call it “calculated risk.”
Diversification is a growth strategy.
You really don't want to only offer one particular product or service, do you?
I mean really?
Find out all the POSSIBLE services or products you can provide.
Even if you don’t execute on them right away.
Have a list of OPPORTUNITIES.
Putting your eggs in MANY baskets is a fantastic way to optimize profitability.
Bottomline: Explore and expand what you can offer your current and potential clients.
For instance, you can start offering consulting services, whatever your niche is...
expand on that.
Consulting and offering professional advice on a topic you’re an expert in is always a good move.
Another thing you could consider is writing an ebook on your experiences and advice you have for newbies.
Let your creativity flow!
My friend, it’s time to start growth hacking.
And you do that by expanding your offerings in a strategic, intentional way.
Ok so we’ve talked about two biz hacks…
Let’s get personal. LOL
And it’s about my fav pastime.
Sleep. LOL
Call it rest, downtime, Netflix and chill, whatever…
I can't say enough about how important progressive rest is in the busy life of an entrepreneur.
I mean, sure, rest is important to everybody…
But you can't be a successful, healthy, productive, LEGENDARY entrepreneur without adequate sleep.
So you gotta stop viewing rest as an optional part of your life.
Because it's not. It is literally essential.
So here's a couple of hacks that can help.
First, get in the rhythm of scheduling a sleep pattern.
This ties back to managing your time well… and setting boundaries.
Remind yourself… Whatever it is that you're in the middle of, it can wait until morning.
Unless you’re like an emergency surgeon or something.
In that case, please keep working. LOL
A sleep pattern means a consistent time you go to bed… and wake up.
It’s actually a real habit you cultivate!
Another hack to ensure you get proper rest is to reduce your digital distractions.
That friggin smartphone can REALLY make you feel like work is more important than your downtime.
So turn off all notifications on your devices -- your phone, tablet, laptop, etc.
In fact, go ahead and set hours for your “do not disturb.”
I mean right now. LOL
That will help you not get pinged and dinged every time a new notification comes in.
You know just as well as I do… when you are tired AF, you don't get shiz done!
Rest is vital to being productive.
So make it be a habit you prioritize.
The next habit we as entrepreneurial badasses should be doing on the daily is taking care of our bodies.
Staying on track with a healthy lifestyle is absolutely mandatory, in my book.
No one feels good when they're sluggish and sick...
Listen to your body.
Whatever it needs -- make sure you put it on the top of your priority list.
Trust me, your body will tell you.
You just gotta learn how to listen.
Number one action step here is… start and maintain healthy habits like eating better.
Keeping wholesome snacks high in antioxidants near you all the time is a great way to incorporate better food choices.
Did you know that one of the most common ways we let our bodies down is not drinking enough water?
Staying hydrated is important for the body and mind.
Funny story for you.
I have a friend who truly is terrible at drinking water.
Really great at iced vanilla lattes… really bad with H20.
So she got this water bottle that literally lights up when she needs to drink water.
There’s an app connected to the bottle that tracks her water intake.
She refused to tell me how much she spent on this contraption… BUT she says she’s gotten her money’s worth already!
Now she’s drinking the proper amount of water daily (which FYI should be at least half your body weight in ounces)... and she feels so much more natural energy!
Her headaches have diminished… and she’s actually sleeping better.
Who knew?? LOL
Well, if YOU want to hydrate better… and not blow up Amazon trying to find this crazy light-up water bottle… you can just set an alarm to remind yourself every hour or so.
Another great health hack that’s a daily must is exercise.
And I don't mean running from one meeting into another. HA!
Set some time aside each day to do something active that you enjoy.
Taking a HIIT class, jogging, riding your bike, or doing a super fun hip hop cardio class are all great options.
And actually, many successful entrepreneurs think up their best ideas while getting their sweat on!
So with our hacks so far, we’ve covered our biz… and our bodies… .
Now, let’s discuss mental awareness.
And experimenting with daily activities that can bring focus and clarity.
Obviously my fav method is meditation.
This mindfulness practice can help you focus better... which leads to enhanced productivity.
The lifestyle of an entrepreneur is hectic to say the least -- we need to dump the stress. A LOT.
Yes, my friends, that shiz needs to go! LOL
Here’s a little known fact: Meditation is a growing trend among successful entrepreneurs.
Oprah’s a huge fan. Gwyneth Paltrow. Russell Simmons. Marc Benioff.
All daily meditators.
It’s totally a thing.
Practicing meditation every day actually changes the way your brain works.
It’s not just for focus and attention.
Although those are two primary benefits.
It’s also responsible for changing negative thoughts and moods into positive ones.
And mindset is HUGE when it comes to being successful AF.
Alright my friends...
We're on to our last healthy habit of the day.
And that’s to keep it real with yourself...
Here’s what I mean.
We spend so much time building up our biz (and our online persona)...
That sometimes we forget we're more than the public version of ourselves we created.
As entrepreneurs, of course we want our biz to succeed!
But I’m here to tell ya… it can’t be at the expense of internal happiness.
So you gotta consciously PRACTICE turning on your “mental filter” before starting work.
It really helps to make the distinction between who you are at work and who you are at home.
The REAL you.
You are SOOOOOO much more than your biz.
If you’re like me, sometimes when you take a hit at work, you absorb the blow personally.
But no matter what happens at work you gotta remember your intrinsic value -- and pursue what makes you happy.
You can’t have success without trials and… yes, failures.
But do NOT let them define you.
You gotta keep on truckin’ and realize that your value as a person is not defined by your business.
AT. ALL.
Ok, well, we have officially gone through all 6 habits.
Incorporating these into your daily life can help you become a more successful, happy, and productive entrepreneur.
If you thought these were great, you should check out my friend Amy Porterfield’s freebie she’s got out right now.
We are TOTALLY on the same wavelength when it comes to this… and you’ll score even more great tips when you snag her guide.
I put the link in the show notes so it’s easy to find… and it’ll be in the next newsletter.
Hope you found today’s episode insightful… and that you’re adding Ted Lasso to your watch list right now. LOL
Ok friends, have yourselves a wonderful week… and I’ll see ya online.