There’s lots of research and advice around making sure you care for your body and mind as much as your business. You know it’s important to stay mentally and physically healthy, but can there be a strong case made for mind-body-connected mega-successful entrepreneurs? You bet.
Here are five common practices of some very successful entrepreneurs who live and promote aspects of the mind-body connection.
“What tribes are is a very simple concept that goes back 50 million years. It’s about leading and connecting people and ideas. And it’s something that people have wanted forever.” — Seth Godin, entrepreneur, speaker and author
Godin devoted an entire book, Tribes, to the discussion of the deep desire humans have for connection and how to tap into that truth. At the most basic level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is the desire for safety and belonging. Successful entrepreneurs know that a valuable relationship of trust and respect is invaluable. They put time and effort into cultivating strong ties to their families, friends and those they care for in strong networks. If you think or act like you’re an island, you’re bound to fail. Take time to invest in the relationships that matter.
“If you don’t exercise, if you don’t get the creative muscles going and stay healthy, then when you are older all of that junk adds up: You’ll be less happy, less healthy, quality of life will be down.” — James Altucher, entrepreneur and author
In his bestselling book, Choose Yourself, Altucher discusses the importance of taking care of your body as one of his pillars of a daily practice. He stresses it isn’t about being perfect or a body builder. Walking, yoga, the gym, whatever your practice — take care of your body to be successful. It matters.
“I have one piece of advice for you: sleep your way to the top.” — Arianna Huffington, entrepreneur and author
Huffington has become something of a sleep warrior these days. She’s led a crusade in recent years to help entrepreneurs and everyone understand that if you aren’t getting enough sleep, you’re going to crash and burn. It’s not just your body either — it’s your mental acuity, your emotional state of being and your whole life that requires good sleep. Make sleep a priority — the mega successful do.
“Be thankful for what you have, you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” — Oprah Winfrey, entrepreneur
It’s such a simple piece of advice but it might possibly be one of the most important you’ll ever adopt. Successful people are grateful people. They started somewhere less than where they are, and along the journey they remembered to continually say thanks and appreciated what they did have. This isn’t just a mindset, it’s a practice and the more you do it the better you get at saying and seeing gratitude in everything.
“Stillness is the best way to create physical healing.” — Gabrielle Bernstein, author and entrepreneur
Kind of like Shakespeare’s rose in Romeo and Juliet, a meditation practice by any other name would still smell as sweet. Whether it’s stillness, yoga, meditation, mindfulness or any other form of practicing a collected calm presence, it’s important to tame what the Buddhist call “monkey brain” and learn to be still. It has ramifications on your ability to react appropriately, proactively approach your day and otherwise solve problems in an improved way. Take the monkey brain and achieve greater results and peace in your life.
From: Entrepreneur