I exercise on a regular basis, and a few days ago I realized that my workouts are just like my online business. For instance...
FOCUS
I always get better results when I really focus on the muscle group I am working. This kind of focus requires concentration. And I know lots of people, myself included, who go through the motions of the exercise, but are thinking about what to have for dinner instead of concentrating on the contraction of the muscle. Focused energy is powerful.
In running my online business, it's easy to get sidetracked by random thoughts and unimportant tasks. I may waste hours on tasks that are unrelated to my end goal. Then there are times when I feel like superwoman and get so much work done because I stay focused on the task at hand. This helps me complete it much faster than if I had ten other thoughts rolling around in my brain at the same time.
DOING THE RIGHT THINGS
Confession: I have been guilty of going to the gym and not feeling like working out. SAY WHAT? I'm sure you've been there too. What I normally do in those instances is retreat to an uncrowded corner, lay out my mat and stretch. I actually love stretching. And I feel great after a good stretch too. But if I did that every time I went to the gym then I would probably be at least 100 pounds overweight by now, because I love me some chocolate.
Simply showing up at the gym isn't going to get me the body I want. I gotta do the right things while I am there. And that means get my heart pumping and my muscles toned. And then stretch.
At times, I will catch myself "stretching" in my online business when I should be "working out". In other words, I get caught up doing busywork which won't help me accomplish my goals. This is work that is considered to be in Quadrant 3 & 4 if you've ever read Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Basically, these are tasks that are not important. Time wasters.
Don't fool yourself...checking your old voicemails and sorting mail is not what you should be spending your valuable time doing. Your time is better spent on things that will grow your business and income. The "stretching" can be outsourced.
CONSISTENCY
I would love to stroll into the gym for my once-a-month workout and then be ready to strut my bikini-clad bod at the beach this summer. Yeah right. The only way I could do that is if I had a rocket-engine metabolism and didn't love to eat as much as I do. So as an alternative, I have to be consistent in my exercise routine in order to not gain weight. Because I'm not dancing as much as I used to, I need 3-4 workout days every week in order to maintain my shape. If I go longer than that, I start to feel "blah-ish" and jiggly and I hate that feeling.
The results I get from a good workout are what keep me craving my workouts on a consistent basis. My workouts are my friends. They not only make me look great, but, more importantly, they make me FEEL great. And when I feel great I am much better at tackling the world.
The results I want in my online business are to not simply maintain the status quo. I want killer growth and income so I gotta put in even more time and effort to achieve what I want. As much as I would love to be able to flip on my laptop once a week, fiddle around with my website for a couple hours and sit back and watch the dollars roll in, that would be living in a fantasy land.
FOCUS
I always get better results when I really focus on the muscle group I am working. This kind of focus requires concentration. And I know lots of people, myself included, who go through the motions of the exercise, but are thinking about what to have for dinner instead of concentrating on the contraction of the muscle. Focused energy is powerful.
In running my online business, it's easy to get sidetracked by random thoughts and unimportant tasks. I may waste hours on tasks that are unrelated to my end goal. Then there are times when I feel like superwoman and get so much work done because I stay focused on the task at hand. This helps me complete it much faster than if I had ten other thoughts rolling around in my brain at the same time.
DOING THE RIGHT THINGS
Confession: I have been guilty of going to the gym and not feeling like working out. SAY WHAT? I'm sure you've been there too. What I normally do in those instances is retreat to an uncrowded corner, lay out my mat and stretch. I actually love stretching. And I feel great after a good stretch too. But if I did that every time I went to the gym then I would probably be at least 100 pounds overweight by now, because I love me some chocolate.
Simply showing up at the gym isn't going to get me the body I want. I gotta do the right things while I am there. And that means get my heart pumping and my muscles toned. And then stretch.
At times, I will catch myself "stretching" in my online business when I should be "working out". In other words, I get caught up doing busywork which won't help me accomplish my goals. This is work that is considered to be in Quadrant 3 & 4 if you've ever read Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Basically, these are tasks that are not important. Time wasters.
Don't fool yourself...checking your old voicemails and sorting mail is not what you should be spending your valuable time doing. Your time is better spent on things that will grow your business and income. The "stretching" can be outsourced.
CONSISTENCY
I would love to stroll into the gym for my once-a-month workout and then be ready to strut my bikini-clad bod at the beach this summer. Yeah right. The only way I could do that is if I had a rocket-engine metabolism and didn't love to eat as much as I do. So as an alternative, I have to be consistent in my exercise routine in order to not gain weight. Because I'm not dancing as much as I used to, I need 3-4 workout days every week in order to maintain my shape. If I go longer than that, I start to feel "blah-ish" and jiggly and I hate that feeling.
The results I get from a good workout are what keep me craving my workouts on a consistent basis. My workouts are my friends. They not only make me look great, but, more importantly, they make me FEEL great. And when I feel great I am much better at tackling the world.
The results I want in my online business are to not simply maintain the status quo. I want killer growth and income so I gotta put in even more time and effort to achieve what I want. As much as I would love to be able to flip on my laptop once a week, fiddle around with my website for a couple hours and sit back and watch the dollars roll in, that would be living in a fantasy land.
