Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Business. - Business Franchise Australia

Most small business owners I come across are working harder than ever before and not getting the results they want. They are time poor, experiencing slow or no real progress because there is just so much to do and many are in a state of stress, overload and overwhelm in general.

What I know to be true is we can always make more money but we can never get back our health and our time. It is therefore critical that as we build our businesses, we design our business to serve and support us personally rather than the other way round. Sadly for many business owners, running a business comes with far too much sacrifice. They are trapped spinning on a hamster wheel going around in circles, often times doing the same thing over and over, yet expecting a different result.

Since 1990 I have been building and growing 6, 7 and 8 figure businesses. Some my own, and some owned by my clients. I’ve had the absolute privilege to have spent time with and learn from business greats like Richard Branson and John Assaraf just to name a couple. One thing that stands out among all the high achievers in the world is they know how to put themselves first. What I mean by that is they prioritise building a healthy mind and a healthy body, which enables them to easily and effortlessly build a healthy business.

Before I continue, please allow me to share with you, very briefly, my story.

I started in business at the age of 20 with my late husband Simon. The year was 1990. We were married young and as Simon was an electrician we embarked on the journey of establishing, building and growing an electrical contracting business. Our formula for growth and success was fairly simple. Attract the type of customer we wanted to serve, in other words our ideal customer. Lead and build an amazing team, provide an excellent service and keep the customers coming back for more or send referrals our way.

The formula pretty much worked for us, well the business that is. We doubled the business year after year. It certainly didn’t serve and support us personally or emotionally. Working 70 – 100 hours per week, we were stressed out and burnt out. We genuinely thought that was how business was meant to be. Work hard now and enjoy the fruits of our labour later was our philosophy. Sadly, later never came and in 1999 my husband, business partner and father to my children tragically died. You may be reading this with a heavy heart and on some level I hope so. As it is with a heavy heart we somehow are instantly drawn in to reflect on our own lives.

Take a moment right now to reflect on your business and your life. Is it looking good or could you do with a little more support? Does something need to change? If so, what? I am confident to say change starts with acknowledging that something must change and then making a commitment to doing whatever it takes to make that change. I know too closely the cost of success however, I have now realised it is possible to balance your focus and create a successful business and more importantly, a great life.

So let’s dive in to how you can build a healthy mind, healthy body, and healthy business.

Transform your thinking!

Thought is the seed of creation for everything we create in our lives. If you look at your current results and then analyse your past thoughts and beliefs you will more than likely find a connection.

Developing a healthy mindset is much easier than you think if you know what to do and when to do it. It’s important to look at your self-talk, your limiting beliefs, change your language patterns and make a commitment to meditating and re-training your brain every single day.

Shifting your beliefs

A belief is a way of seeing the world. It is what we believe to be true. Our own beliefs, both negative and positive, cause us to perceive and act in a certain way. Whilst some beliefs allow our businesses and lives to function smoothly, other beliefs can hold us back. Keeping us stuck and unable to make the shifts and the leaps we so truly desire. Through a lifetime worth of events and experiences, we actually learn what to expect whether it happens or not. Because we naturally expect things, we often achieve what we anticipate. This is why it is so important to hold positive expectations in the mind.

The good news is no matter where you are right now, your beliefs can be changed and you can bounce forward and break through.

New beliefs lead to new actions

Take a quick look at the thoughts you have regularly each day. Are they helping you move closer to where you want to be or further away? Do they empower action or contribute to procrastination. Empowering thoughts inspire you to act. Disempowering thoughts lead to you doing things that move you further away or doing nothing at all. The key point here is your current reality is as a result of the consistent thoughts you think and the actions or lack of action you take.

Thoughts + Actions = Results

Be sure you are thinking the right thoughts, and are taking the right actions in the right order at the right time so you create the results and outcomes you want. If a disempowering thought comes your way, make it a habit to quickly replace it with an empowering one.

Make an effort to meditate. Meditation is one way to practice mindfulness. Current research suggests that meditation sharpens your skills like attention, memory and emotional intelligence. Meditation also builds resilience and performance under stress. Meditation boosts emotional intelligence, enhances creativity, improves your relationships and helps you focus. Importantly, meditation is not just “one more thing to do”. Adrianna Huffington said this so well, we don’t ‘do’ meditation; meditation ‘does’ us. The only thing to ‘do’ in meditation is nothing and this type of doing nothing can have real results.

If you’re not sure how to get started with meditation, there are plenty of resources on YouTube. Some will guide you through the process. The key is to find something that suits you best.

Mind and body intrinsically connected

The mind and body are intrinsically connected. First you must change your mind, then you must maintain physical fitness in order to experience an increased level of clarity and energy to take the right actions and get things done.

“When you’re in good physical, emotional and spiritual health – the hard things are easy. When we’re not in good physical, emotional and spiritual health – the easy things are hard.” John Assaraf

Let’s face it; we have all taken our health for granted at some stage in our lives. We all say we are too tired, too busy, have too much on to take time out to exercise, take a break away or even just go for a quiet walk. Studies have now shown – I’ve proven it with my clients and with myself. The more we work on creating a healthy mind and the more we commit to getting and staying healthy, the more things flow in business and in life.

Exercise is one of the things most successful people do. It helps build confidence and enhances clarity and is one of the most important habits you can develop to transform your life. I know myself my revenues are much higher in the months I exercise and meditate more often. It is a proven fact now that working out can make you healthier. When you are healthy, you sleep better, your mental sharpness is increased and you have more energy to get things done in less time. So get exercising as often as you can and see your results shift in the right direction.

Before you think I’m about to say reduce your alcohol and your carbs, I won’t be. Well at least I won’t be telling you to reduce your alcohol. A leading cardiologist at a CPD seminar held in the Sydney CBD only recently confidently reported that two glasses of red wine a day was in fact very good for you. Thank goodness for that. We may not be able to have our cake and eat it too, but a daily dose of meditation and mindfulness coupled with some regular exercise and good eating habits can achieve a healthy business that serves and supports us rather than the other way around.

Tania Allen is the founder of Vision Alliance & www.TaniaAllen.com. A transformational leadership coach, business growth and franchise expert, she helps business owners create a business and life they love.

You can contact Tania at:

1300 76 49 20

tania@taniaallen.com