How does fitness relate to success?

This has been a hot topic in our house recently. I am an entrepreneur running my home business and see myself as a leader.  Although fitness has been on my to-do list, I have not made it a priority. A few things I've heard and read over the past couple of weeks have made me think more seriously about moving this a little higher on my priority list.

I came across a study done several years ago that interviewed 366 entrepreneurs in the USA asking if they did any kind of exercise and how frequent this was.  The study found that those who ran or weight trained a few times a week were 3%-4% more likely to be reaching their financial goals, whereas those who exercised daily were a whopping 14% more likely to reach those goals!  It makes sense right? Fitness improves mental productivity as well as physical productivity, and leads to greater achievement.

Sucess Magazine which I subscribe to comes with a cd in every issue. This month there was an interview with brain expert Daniel Amen MD. What he had to say really grabbed my attention. We all know how vital it is to look after our brain. Eating certain "brain foods" can help with our attention and focus. But did you know that there are things we might be doing (stress, overeating, obesity, not getting enough sleep) that can actual decrease the size of our brain? No? Well, I didn't either! I know these things are not good for us, but I had no idea that they actually shrink your brain!

I want to be on the top of my game in business and in life, so what can I do in a positive way to help my brain function at it's best?

1. SLEEP - get enough of it.

Sleep deprivation is linked to major disasters throughout history. Lack of sleep can affect our judgement, organisation, planning, impulse and control. I know when I have been burning the candle at both ends I do not function as effectively as I can. As an entrepreneur I have the choice to get up when I want....BUT...am I making smart choices? Am I really being effective and achieving all I desire?  Good questions to think about!

2. FOOD - make smart choices

We all know the negatives to avoid - high calorie, low nutrition foods filled with loads of fat, sugar and salt. And it's so much easier to say this than do it, but it's good to remind ourselves of this from time to time.
What we put into our body is what we get out!  As a positive action we can fill our pantry with fresh and healthy ingredients.  I started to get my fruit and veg delivered every second week from a farmers direct company here in Australia "Aussie Farmers Direct". Not only am I helping the farmers get better profits, but by having the seasonal fruit and veg delivered I have it on hand and it makes the choice so much easier.

3. EXERCISE - Make it a habit, not a random occurrence

Walk 30 minutes a day! Again, easier to say than to do. How many times do you get home from work and the thought hits you..."I should go for a walk"!? Then something happens, you get busy at home and then the night is over and you have not gone for that walk. Is that just me, or does that happen to you too?

Well, the topic of exercise has been one of many conversations in our household lately. My husband and I have just signed up for a 6km fun run for charity. I have been so slack in my fitness and I thought this would be a good way to challenge myself and kick-start my fitness level. I am excited, scared and nervous all at once as i have never done anything like this in my life! But, it is because of the clammy hands and butterflies in the tummy feeling I get when I think about running for 6km that I know I am doing exactly what I should be doing and what is going to get me good results.

 Wish me luck!

4. BRAIN TRAINING - make that muscle work!

Reading, doing puzzles, crosswords, soduko, learning new things - these can all help keep our mind fresh and functioning.  There are so many brain training programs for the computer or gaming system, i-pod, i-pad - you name it, there's something out there that can help....if it is used!  I also heard the other day that playing Role Playing Games on your computer (no, not just shoot-em-up games, but strategy and RPG) can actually assist in brain function.

Here are a few links to free online brain training games you can do:
* Brain Metrix
* Mini Clips - they have some brain training games as well as other games
* Test your Brain Age - beware....these may be harder than you think!

5. POSITIVE THINKING - what we think about is what we bring about!

There are a lot of good things our brains tells us that we need to listen to - not to put our hands on the stove-top (hot hot hot!!) or not to go on that date with the guy who looks like a serial killer (seriously?) - these thoughts are a protection for us if we listen to them.  But there is also a lot of things our brain tells us that we should not be listening to.  One of them is Monkey Chatter!  Negativity that goes around and around in our heads - it is not protecting us, it's hurting us.

Not ever stupid thought we think can be relied on: - I just have to look at food to put on weight.  I'll never succeed at achieving my goals.  I'll start my exercise program on Monday.  My weight is in my genes.  I can't start my diet today - it's Friday!  I'm a failure. I can't reduce my stress because of my job.  I have no time for exercise.  These are all excuses - little lies we tell ourselves to support the poor choices we have made.

The key is to being self-aware.  When we are aware of these thoughts we can put a stop to them - tell your brain to 'shut up' and just say STOP!  Then replace that thought with something positive.

Choose a positive thought or action to put you on the track you really want to be on:  I may have just eaten that chocolate bar and fallen off my diet, but if I start again right now I am back on track - success!   I don't have a lot of time today to start my exercise, but if I walk for just 10 minutes I'll be on my way!  My job might be stressful, but it doesn't mean I have to be - I can learn how to keep calm.

Learn to challenge negativity - don't just accept it as true.

The brain is the origin of our personality, character, intelligence and every decision we make.  It governs everything we do, think, say, feel and how we interact with others.  When our brain works well, we work well.

By making smart choices we can look after our brain, keep it healthy and we'll be a happier, healthier, wealthier, wiser person and make better decisions - all good traits for entrepreneurs and good leaders!

Susan Dorrington

Join me on facebook
Work from home

"You don't have to be great to get started....You just have to start to be great!" - Les Brown

Make positive changes in your life with personal development

Evidence of Successful People

I would like to share something with you that I wrote down at a workshop about a year ago, that I like to refer back to on a regular basis:

Success requires Action
Action requires Motivation
Motivation requires Belief
Belief requires Evidence

By the laws of reversibility, this is true the other way around: Evidence...creates Belief, which creates Motivation, which creates Action....and Action leads to Success!

With this in mind, if you are seeking to have success in some area in your life, then one important thing to address is Evidence!

So, say you are an entrepreneur, just starting out and you have not sold anything yet, had no success as yet and really have no evidence of success in your own life...as yet. There is a term in the industry - do you just "Fake it until you Make it"? Well, I would suggest a big resounding NO! That does not hold to being truthful, ethical, being genuine, or having integrity, and certainly does not sit well with me. And believe me, your customers or prospects will pick up on the sense that you are not being completely honest with them too.

If you are not at this time the creator of your own evidence, then where do you go to find the evidence that will create the belief in yourself and your company/products that will motivate you to take the necessary action that will inevitably lead to your success?

The easy answer to that question is...the people around you who are having success!

For entrepreneurs this can be by live or recorded calls, read great books, go to live conferences and events, call your advisor, or find someone to mentor you.

If you are an athlete wanting to succeed, then you surround yourself with other successful athlete's. If you are a musician wanting to do well in the industry, you seek out successful musicians and find out what they did to succeed. If you are an entrepreneur wanting to succeed in business, you find other successful entrepreneurs to mix with and brainstorm with and find out what they are doing to succeed.

They are your evidence of what is possible! You mix with them, learn their mindset, see the discipline they have, see the kind of action they take and the consistent way they do things. In associating with like-minded successful people, you also get to see that they are just regular people like you and I. And there is power in that for you - you truly are not very different to them! If they can do it...you can do it! And there is your evidence. You can do it...because you have seen it already done by someone just like you! You KNOW for a certainty that it is achievable...if you follow the same steps - mindset, action, discipline, consistency!

And after you follow these steps...and have your own success, then let that spur you on further - you become your own evidence, and you can go on to be that successful person who creates evidence to others around you of what truly is possible!

A leader is a person who provides vision for others. You become a part of the solution, not just in your own life, but in the lives of many!

So, what are you waiting for? Go out & be the Leader I know you can be!

Much Success to You!