Burning the candle at both ends. Have you ever done that? ARE you doing that right now? How’s that going for you?
The problem with building a business shaped by your personal brand is that it takes a lot of YOU. A L O T of YOU! You can’t separate yourself from the business. You can’t delegate YOU.
More and more, the entrepreneurs that I coach, are burned out, stressed out and because of that, they are ineffective.
It goes deeper than needing a day off. Self-care needs to be part of your daily business strategy. It is as important as making those sales calls, answering emails and networking.
If you don’t take time for self-care as an entrepreneur, your body and your business will demand it of you, but it won’t be pretty.
Have you ever gotten sick because you were overworked? Have you ever dropped the ball because you had too much on your plate? Have you ever missed important family events because you just had to get a project done?
And for what? So that you can wave a flag that says “I’m an Entrepreneur without a Life”?
I say it is time to take back control of our self-care and emphatically add it to our must do list, above all other items because I know for a fact that a healthy entrepreneur is more likely to be successful.
How do I know that? Here’s how —
Self-care is your sales secret weapon.
You got that right. SALES and SELF-CARE go hand in hand.
When you are well rested, well put together, thinking clearly, full of energy and on point with your prospects, you will sell more.
Your energy attracts or repels clients. When you practice self-care on a regular basis, you are prepared for anything that comes your way.
Think about it, what do you want to project to your prospects and community? Most entrepreneurs want to be seen as credible, available, on top of their game. Self-care can help you do that.
Here are four self-care practices to help you…
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- Sleep. Get enough sleep. I know, you can’t get any more sleep than what you do. (Right now I imagine you are waving your calendar at me, emphatically screaming, REALLY?!!) The truth is, most people waste hours at the end of their day on social media and they are not scheduling posts for their business. Look at the overflowing calendar, and you will see there are ways to add 30 minutes here, an hour there. I know you can do it.
- Delegate. What does delegation have to do with self-care? Well, the do everything yourself syndrome is killing your energy, and that is killing your sales. Learn how to get support so that you can stay in your zone of genius. I have an amazing team, and because they focus on the behind the scenes aspects of my business, I can be the well-rested, happy, confident face of my brand.
- Have more fun. All work and no play really will make you dull. Find a way to have fun, outside of work, with people you care about. You will be glad you did. When you are happy, you radiate confidence and confidence is a killer sales tool.
- Exercise. I know, you are too tired to exercise, because of your schedule. Any movement beyond sitting at your computer will be beneficial. Exercise brings more oxygen to the brain, and an alert brain is more creative and effective. It also has the rebound effect of giving you more energy over time. Dust off those running shoes, move the clothes off of the treadmill, grab your yoga mat and get to it. The more energy you have, the more likely you are to approach your prospects and convert them to clients.
Sleep, delegation, fun, and exercise. Those are four great ways to practice self-care. When you are more alert, energetic, positive and ready to tackle what comes your way, that energy is contagious!
People are attracted to that kind of magnetic energy, and that can be what make the difference when people are making a decision to purchase from you or someone else.
Here’s to self-care! Self-care = Success.
