To take pride in something is not a bad thing, especially when it deals with self-improvement. Fitness for entrepreneurs is not often talked about in popular culture. But it should be.
Working out day after day creates an engine of willpower to get through trials and tribulations of the day. Nutrition forces you to be disciplined, going outside your comfort zone and pushing yourself to new standards.
If you can’t already see the simile developing here, you probably need to go back to middle school for a quick refresher. Entrepreneurs deal with similar difficulties in order to keep their goals and dreams alive.
But the good news is that if you are already a “fitness junkie” you already have the key to success.
I’m going to break down exactly how fitness sparks an entrepreneur spirit and tips on how to stay focused and motivated:
What it takes to be an Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs get a bad rep, and, in some cases, rightfully so.
It takes a special type of person to keep going on and on even after failing. I personally failed 17 times before I started seeing any results.
Getting out of the 9 to 5 “trade time for money” mindset is tough- and to be honest- it is not for everyone.
I respect my parents and grandma who sometimes wanted to guide me and protect me by advising me to go the “safe route.” But I knew it just wasn’t for me.
If I were too concerned about failing and critics, I would never be where I am today.
Teddy Roosevelt once said: “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with dust and sweat; who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again because there is no effort without error or shortcoming.”
What Fitness has to do with it:
Fitness forces you to develop willpower, which is one of the hardest things to explain, but one of the most important to obtain. It gives you the upper hand against naysayers and your competition. This is really the spark that burns within each entrepreneur.
As you work out you learn about yourself, learn how to deal with failure and rejection, as well as how to celebrate the small and big wins.
Focus and Motivation
An entrepreneurial spirit is in everyone who has developed willpower.
But it’s like driving a car. You have the engine and components, but you have to steer it with focus and motivation.
Realize that you’ve come a long way
It blows my mind when I look at all of the work that people do for others (school, work, family). But when it comes to doing something for themselves, they get tired, weak, and give up.
Realize that you are capable of overcoming whatever challenges you have.
When there is a funeral or a wedding the whole family, that is typically “too busy” to visit suddenly finds a way to show up.
You know how to put in the work when you need to. Make your successful life and successful future a necessity.
Draw from the Willpower you’ve developed through Fitness
Everyone’s fitness journey is different. For me, it was my senior year in high school when I decided to go for a run around the neighborhood lake.
I hadn’t worked out in years, and I knew my endurance was utterly pathetic. What made it worse is that there were people I knew walking their dogs and enjoying the spring weather outside. I was faced with a decision.
I decided to just go for it. Haha, needless to say, I didn’t get very far. But that one moment defined the rest of my fitness journey.
Keep in mind, I’m not a pro-runner or anything, but I can defend myself and jog 3-5 miles without breathing hard.
The point is that every fitness journey involves decisions that push us to the next level and define us. You’re going to fail. You’re going to make mistakes. It’s going to be hard, but in the end, it is always worth it.
Micheal Jordan once said: “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”
***Most people learn best while doing, even if that sometimes involves making mistakes
Beginner Mistakes And How to Avoid Them
Not taking things seriously
This isn’t some game. If you want to be taken seriously, and you have a plan or system that works, get out there! I’m not a legal advisor, but these things were necessary for every business I’ve built:
- Show your face
- Build a website and social media accounts
- Develop a brand
- Don’t be afraid to tell your friends
- Incorporate your business and get a business bank account
Not staying organized (scheduling, planning, tracking, etc.)
Nothing kills your business like wasted time and going back and fixing things or finding things that should be at your fingertips. To avoid this pitfall:
- Block out times.
- Track your progress and create long-lasting relationships with business partners and clients
- Actually stick to it!!!
Not picking something profitable enough to keep you in business
I need to drill this one home. NOBODY and I repeat nobody wants to be “upside down” in an investment.
Think about what people will pay for your product or service. What are they worth? Would you pay for them yourself?
Don’t get into a sinking ship like the endless scheme-y MLM “businesses” out there (a complete waste of time for the average person).
Make sure you have back-end offers to get the most out of your business. Most people don’t realize this, but that is how most big companies make their money. They lose money on the front end to bring a customer in (with a coupon or whatever), and then they up-sell their clients on more and more products and services.
A good example is the famously unhealthy McDonald’s coupon for a free fry with “any purchase.” Chances are you are not going to be satisfied with a minuscule $1 burger and fry, and that is what McDonald’s banks on.
Top Tips
People pay me a lot of money to teach them this info during consulting:
Don’t Take Unnecessary Risks
Taking calculated risks is a good thing. But if you have limited money saved up, don’t get tied up in some “Get rich in 7 days” scammer course.
Spend money to make money. Be willing to buy data and software to better your business and make you more professional, but don’t go overboard. Make sure you have something coming before pulling your credit card out.
Read/Listen More
If you want to succeed, you have to learn more. Sometimes it helps just to shut up and listen from people who have been in your industry for a long time. Talk to them, learn from them, and help them.
Listen to motivational speakers on YouTube and other platforms to keep your dream alive.
Read books, download audiobooks and listen to them instead of the negative news and repetitive music that comes on the radio. Download Audible here.
Be innovative but don’t re-invent the wheel. Take in knowledge and use your creativity to develop unique services, content, or goods. However, don’t try to change everything all at once (radically). Again: calculated risks are key.
Get excited
Get excited when people say “yes” but get even more excited when people say “no.”
You are going to have ups and downs in your business, just like during a workout, but don’t get discouraged. Take every “no” as one step closer to “yes.” It’s going to make your success story that much greater.
Now!
It’s so mundane but so true: If you never start, you’ll never finish.
Get out a calendar right now and mark when you will work on your business.
When I look back, if I had known what I know now when I was a teen, I would probably be a multimillionaire and possibly even a billionaire right now.
Don’t look back at your failures and get discouraged. Work on what you can work on now and don’t ever stop (even when you finally succeed).
Look, even if it’s only an hour/day, by the end of the year, you’ll be 365 hours ahead of almost everyone else in the world who doesn’t take action.
***This was a guest post submitted by David W. and edited by Johnathan. He has a company called Apt Applications and does digital marketing for local businesses, especially gyms**
Editor’s note:
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To your success,
Thanks.
