Working 24/7 is not necessary to be successful. Of course in the beginning, you will have to work longer days, and even some weekends, but you should still be taking care of yourself along the way. You will be a better business owner and dietitian if you take care of yourself first by honoring the downtime your body needs for creativity. If you’re skipping a meal or staying up late to finish work, that’s not giving your all — that’s a sign of burnout. The difference in owning your own business and working a 9-to-5 job is your income will depend on how fully you show up each day. In this session, we will be talking about some of the things you can do to keep you in your zone of genius.
1. Taking care of yourself.
Society creates the illusion that "being busy all the time" is equivalent to a sign of power. Wake up early, "hustle" all day, feel stressed, stay late, complain to everyone that you have no time to do anything, and the list goes on. But the truth is, you can organize your life such that it doesn't have to be this way, and you do not have to feel "busy" to be successful.
It all goes back to how we perceive what success is in our lives. We want someone to notice how much we are doing so they will see us as important. When I first started my private practice journey, I quickly learned that all of this drama actually made me less productive and wasted so much valuable energy. Burnout can bring building your dream career to a halt. You are in charge of your happiness, and feeling good every day is something you deserve. Investing in yourself, just as you have for your business is crucial!
Here are a few ways to care for yourself:
- Have a morning routine to reset your energy every day
- Try yoga or meditation classes
- Download an app for guided meditations
- Take a walk outside
- Unplug at the end of the day: put your smartphone and laptop away
- Listen to an inspirational podcast
- Get a massage, pedicure, manicure or go shopping
- Take a long bath
- Visit a new coffee shop to do work
- Find your creative outlet: coloring, journaling, listening to music
Activity
Commit to starting something new for yourself that you have never done before.
Select one activity from the above list. Schedule it on your calendar, commit to doing it at least once per week.
2. Staying positive will keep you afloat.
One of the biggest ways for you to feel more powerful is to bring happiness into your life. When you are happy, you attract happy. We are visual beings by nature, so when your social media feed is full of negativity, you internalize just that. Positive changes come from filling your life with more of what makes you feel good.
Here are some ways to start experiencing a positive message every day:
- Discover on Instagram and Pinterest what kind of inspirational quotes lifts you up and fills you with encouragement and inspiration.
- Listen to podcasts, read motivational blogs and books, or talk with a mentor.
- Clean up your social media feeds, notifications and subscribed emails you receive every day.
- Unfollow posts that trigger unhappy emotions or cause anxiety.
3. Never get too comfortable.
By taking better care of yourself and becoming a more positive person, you harvest the energy for doing more things outside of your comfort zone. Getting uncomfortable is what allows you to rise up and make radical changes in your career and business.
What does that feel like?
- It's a powerful combination of feeling both scared and excited for the unknown and what's to come.
- You should intuitively feel like it's the right action even if you feel resistance. Otherwise, you can't operate from your zone of genius and at your highest potential if you are playing it safe.
- Always search for and be open to new opportunities, and let your struggles take you somewhere.
Everything happens for a reason. It won’t always feel fun and will even feel scary, but continuing to push forward every day is how you stay successful.
