Today’s the journey of an entrepreneur can be a difficult one, which is why executive coaching is something every entrepreneur should contemplate. Entrepreneurship can be a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows. In order to navigate the bumpy terrain, you need guidance and a supportive arm at times. Someone who can help you find answers both to life problems and work ones.
As an Entrepreneur you have the opportunity
to live the life of your dreams. But you need good health, constant focus and to
avoid the greatest threat, burnout. This means you have to make yourself a priority
and have someone by your side making sure that you do. When you get it right
the payoff is simply amazing, particularly when your business changes the lives
of others for the better.
The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.
Nolan Bushnell
Running a business at times can be one of
the most stressful things a human being can do. Looking back over my many years
as a Marketing Director in the Fitness Industry or as the owner of a chain of
gyms, one of the major keys to my success was my ability to maintain a healthy
balance between work and life.
In a recent blog post 10 self-care tips for Entrepreneurs I state something very obvious and that is that entrepreneurs need to take care of themselves as well as they do their business. In truth I know how hard this can be, when we are trying to build a business or keep one going. Yet we can’t get away from the fact that without our health our business would need to exist without us. Most can’t, hence why your health matters so much.
Let me throw some statistics at you.
2x Workplace
stress has doubled in the last decade
12 The
average CEO works 12 hours a day
72% 72%
of all entrepreneurs have mental illness
30% 30%
of start ups fail because of the founder’s emotional state
It is clear that taking care of oneself is
essential for all entrepreneurs and business owners. It is great advice but
advice that many of you ignore. Yet the costs of not doing so can be so bad.
Taking care means eating a healthy diet,
getting exercise on a daily basis and learning to relax and take care of ones
mental health. The latter is becoming a major concern for many in recent times.
It really has become crucial for anyone in
business to learn how to handle stress. If you are continually faced with
stress then it can have a draining effect on your body and mind, which can make
you feel as though you have less energy and can make you totally lethargic. You
may no longer have the interests you once had or the social life you once did,
even the thought of getting out of bed may seem like too much trouble.
Most business owners or entrepreneurs find its at these times they are very much alone. They don’t like bringing these issues home with them and discuss them with their partner. Neither would they speak about it with any of their employees. Their friends they wouldn’t confide in from a sign of embarrassment not wanting to show weakness. So where do they turn?
A coach providing executive coaching would make the perfect guide.
“People are the most important thing. Business model and product will follow if you have the right people.”
Adam Neumann, Co-founder of WeWork
If you are serious about getting better results in your business, executive coaching can really help you. It’s about having your own experienced business advisor working with you on a systematic step-by-step approach aimed at getting you the results you want. It is convenient, affordable and completely confidential.
A lot of people misinterpret what executive coaching does. An executive coach is not someone who does the work for you. Rather, they are in your corner, acting as your cheerleader. Like a sports coach, they ‘keep you in the game’, and are there to motivate and keep you focused on achieving your goals.
“Our chief want in life, is someone who shall make us do what we can. This is the service of a friend. With him, we are easily great.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
For a long time the issue of work-life balance has been in the spotlight. Many feel this is a problem without a solution.
Randi Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Zuckerberg media, tweeted, “The entrepreneur’s dilemma: Maintaining friendships. Building a great company. Spending time w/family. Staying fit. Getting sleep. Pick 3.”
For most business owners their life is their work, their work is their life, everything else comes a distant second. This simply isn’t a healthy way to be and at some point invites disaster in the way of a major health problem. It is imperative that every one of you creates a better balance, making your health and relationships at least on an equal keel to your work. That is what I ensure my clients do. Executive coaching instills within them that there priority is to focus on those specific three areas.
- Health
- Relationships
- Career
To see them as equal parts to their equation. Get the balance right with these and most of the other areas will also balance out right.
Richard Branson of Virgin says he wouldn’t be where he is today if it wasn’t for his family. “I make it a priority to spend time with my wife Joan every single day,” he says. “It reminds me of why I do what I do.”
“Dear entrepreneurs, you can start a thousand businesses, launch 100 projects, and take dozens of companies public, but you only have one shot at being part of your kid’s childhood. Your kid doesn’t care about your platform, they care about your presence.”
Jon Acuff
Like many before me, I am in the fortunate position now where I can pass on my knowledge having learnt from my own mistakes.
Unfortunately, I can do nothing about the fact that there are only 24 hours in the day. So you have to organise things well if you are to take care of your business and yourself.
I tend to wake up at 6am so that I can be in the gym by 6.30 to get some exercise and I use the whole weekend to spend time with my loved ones. These things are sacrosanct and I protect them totally knowing they keep me healthy, happy and therefore focused on everything that matters. It ensures I’m always in a positive mindset when I get down to business.Monday to Friday I put the hours in but still focus on getting things balanced. I help my clients do the same.
The road of entrepreneurship is about balance, the ying and yang of it all. Make sure that you’re not only invested in your bottom line, but in your wellness, too. Executive coaching is your best safeguard.
There is no doubts that a majority of entrepreneurs find work-life balance the biggest challenge they face.
I’ve written a series of articles that you will find herethat can help you find solutions to establishing a good and healthy work life balance. It includes this article 25 Key Strategies To Achieving A Work-Life Balance which is definitely worth a read.
Are you ready to grow your business and make the leap from where you currently are, to where you desire to be? If so, it may be time to benefit from executive coaching.
Whatever it is you are trying to create please remember this famous quote and let it inspire you to see things through to the end where you will enjoy the success you deserve.
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
Thomas Edison
