<p>Everyday you are responsible for making your business<em> fly</em>. You market yourself. You create and deliver products and services to your clients. You reflect on past trends. You envision future possibilities. </p>
<p>It’s a lot of work. So in the midst of it all, how do you attend to <strong>you</strong>? </p>
<p>You may have the most fantastic skills or product. However, if you’re run down, you won’t have the stamina or the <em>light in your eyes </em>that will <em><strong>set others on fire about what you do</strong>. </em> </p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Exercise, almost every day.</strong> Some large corporations now pay employees to take daily exercise breaks. Research shows significant increase in focus, energy and productivity. The time you take for a jog, a bike ride, yoga class or trip to the gym will pay off. <strong> </strong></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Feed yourself well.</strong> Subsisting on carbs, processed food bars and caffeine will not give you a clear mind or the stamina you need. Eat real food, protein at most meals and plenty of veg & fruit. Stay hydrated.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Prioritize sleep. </strong> Give yourself 7-8 hours as often as you can. Slow down and limit <em>screen time</em> the last hour before sleep. If your sleep is not restful, there are plenty of resources in our alternative healthcare community to help.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Play! </strong>Go dancing (salsa, belly, contra, swing, just dance). Watch a movie that makes you laugh out loud. Buy bubbles to blow. If you don’t have kids, spend time with those of friends and operate on kid time for awhile. Be curious. Do anything that elicits a full belly laugh and brings you levity and joy.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Share time with people who nourish you; </strong>not through Facebook, not through Twitter, not over a cell phone. Cultivate relationships with friends and family in ways that make alive all that it means to be human. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Get outside.</strong> Here in the NW, we are surrounded by mountains, forests, water. Be it a quick trip up Mt Si or a paddle in a rented kayak on Lake Union, take advantage! </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Carve out a few minutes to ‘not do.’ </strong> Meditate. Sit by the water and watch ducks. Lie on the grass and watch the clouds. Find a nice picnic bench or a porch and simply witness the world going by.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Volunteer. </strong> Our social services are in desperate need right now. You may be able to use your skills in a way you hadn’t imagined before. Sometimes working with a different population can be eye opening, thought provoking, meaning producing, and innovation inspiring. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><strong>Take care of your body. </strong>If you regularly experience pain (tension headaches, migraines, shoulder and neck tension, menstrual pain, back pain) it will compromise your emotional state, energy, and focus. Consider acupuncture, massage, cranio-sacral, Feldenkrais. Did I mention acupuncture?</li>
</ul>
<p>These humble suggestions are not rocket science. As you read the list, you may have been thinking to yourself, <em>sure, I know all this. </em></p>
<p>But are you really doing them? All of them? Are you waking up every day feeling great? Consider this a simple invitation to check in with yourself. Use this template to consider how you can optimize the health and vitality of <strong>you</strong> <strong><em>and</em> your business</strong>.</p>
<p> </p>
2009-06-22T04:39:41Z
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vital-you-vital-business
6
2009-06-23T08:54:00Z
2009-06-23T04:54:46Z
Your business needs you to operate at 100%. Here are 9 things you can do to optimize your health and performance.
Vital You, Vital Business
1
2009-06-23T04:54:46Z