Health and productivity are essential to an entrepreneur's potential for growth. Without these good habits, your business will suffer and so will you.
There's a plethora of content on the internet to wade through about how to achieve well-being at work, but if you focus on just a few key things, you can reap big results.
Here are four habits to let go of in the quest to improve your health and productivity:
1. Consuming too much information
We live in the golden age of information. Anything you want to know, find or learn can happen through the magic of a 15-second Google search.
I can learn the basic step pattern for salsa dancing, but I can also become overwhelmed with the countless salsa videos at my disposal.
The big glaring problem with this wealth of information is that the abundance of it starts to overwhelm me. What's right and wrong? Which diet to choose? Which ad campaign to run? Which email service to use? Which sales strategy to implement? Which workout regimen to follow? How to lose weight the fastest? And on and on.
It's great to have this information, but the excess of information becomes counterproductive because it leads to analysis from paralysis. Information overload is in full effect, and the more information and decisions presented to you, the more likely nothing gets chosen and started.
Find just enough information, pick a plan and leave everything else out. Otherwise, you'll jump from program to program with your fitness and try the next shiny object each week in business.
All diets can potentially work. All business strategies and tactics can work. The key is to stick with the plan, follow it and give the process time to work out. Your most important step is to find a plan that acknowledges and meshes with your personality and skills, and then get started.
2. Trying to do everything yourself
You can't succeed in this world alone. This leads to burnout, which affects your health and business.
Seek help when you need it. It's better for your business to let someone take over jobs and tasks that don't fit your strengths. This frees up more time to focus on your strengths, which leads to better productivity overall and an improved bottom line.
It's better to let someone take over your fitness and nutrition than to continually guess and jump from program to program but still not get anywhere meaningful with your progress in the long run.
Marvin Gaye had a team of songwriters and producers to bring out the best of him for the Let's Get It On album. Steve Jobs had a talented team at Apple. Even the Avengers couldn't save the world until they came together as a unit.
Don't waste time trying to do and be everything.
3. Trying to be a perfectionist
Labeling yourself as a perfectionist and not taking action until it's right is nothing more than procrastination and fear talking.
In business, if you wait for the perfect moment, you're too late the competition has the leg up on you. In fitness, if you wait for the perfect moment, those desired pounds lost and dream body are still waiting to happen. Building a million-dollar business and body requires more than just planning, it requires action (imperfection action is better than no action).
Don't miss the big picture when you're trying to improve your health and productivity. The main point is to get started. Perfectionists waste time over-analyzing all the small details that don't play a pivotal role in the outcome. The perfect moment to start is now.
4. Not creating systems
Life is chaotic and can quickly become overwhelming, which is why creating systems is critical to succeeding in business and fitness.
Systems help you not rely on willpower (a fleeting asset). With systems, you can automate the everyday mundane tasks so you can focus on your tougher tasks of the day, rather than waste unnecessary energy.
Struggle with what to eat? Use a catering service for lunch because that's your busiest work time and the most tempting time to fall off your healthy regimen.
When you create this system for your nutrition, you're freeing up your brain power for big decisions in your business. Plan your morning, afternoon and evening work slots while setting assigned times designated for email and administrative tasks.
Julian Hayes II is a health and fitness coach.
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