Take some of the basic principles from parts of your life where you have achieved success, and then mold them slightly in order to recreate that success in different forms. The same strategy can be used over and over, just restructured to better suit the given idea/goal/or topic. Ex: Family setting, sports, business, health, etc. Being capable of creating balance in one’s life is a fundamental tool in achieving greatness and absolute health.
By applying certain principles and balance to your life, you are setting yourself up for great success. You know what works for you, you know how to be happy in all facets of your life (because you have perfected a certain level of BALANCE) and you are able to take steps forward that will undoubtedly accelerate your performance.
This article will layout 7 strategies to help you succeed and find balance
Balance= Success
1. Develop a written plan
To be successful at just about anything you have to visualize what you are going to do, and then put it down on paper. Planning is a way of pulling you out of the day to day tasks you have set for yourself, and will sometimes enable you to think about the bigger picture. It is all too common that people spend too much time working within the parameters of an outdated plan rather than on producing a better plan. Without this plan, it’s easy to lose focus and instead just take things as they come reducing productivity. Personalize your goals and re-evaluate on a regular basis. You want to set goals for now, midterm, long term, and an end goal. By visualizing and mapping out what you plan to accomplish, you are reducing risk and protecting your investment “YOU”. Know yourself and your capabilities, and make sure your written plan works within the perimeters of your abilities.
2. Get professional advice
Bankers, Lawyers, and accountants are some of the first people contacted when starting a business. In the fitness realm a trainer, health coach, or even magazine and web content can be helpful. Nobody knows it all, nor will you ever. If you knew it all things would become boring and stagnant and there would be no need for others advice because you would already have all the answers. But since you don’t live in that world, find someone that can help you get started or perfect what you are already doing. Perhaps you just need to find a way to become more efficient at managing your routine. Having a health coach is an excellent way to help you remain motivated and dedicated to what you want to achieve.
A good coach is also adept at helping you come up with innovative ideas. It is definitely a challenge to formulate solutions to difficulties that stand in your way. Through the advice you receive, you are able to get over those hurdles and back on the fast track of achieving your goals. It is also good to get professional advice because they will look at your plan and goals more objectively as an outsider and give you the advice you need to improve not just what you want to hear.
3. Persistence
We all struggle with discipline; it does not come easily, not even for the most successful. Anyone can give up; it's the easiest thing to do. But to keep moving forward and progressing, regardless of failure, misfortune, or hurdle in your path, that is true strength and is what will separate you from the rest. Bodyweight and fat fluctuate, muscles come and go, max lifts fade; but with hard work and persistence, you can better previous bests and continue to set the bar higher and higher.
There is always room to grow, at 90% capacity you will have mastered your craft, but there is still that 10 % remaining that will take a lifetime to acquire. Persistence takes discipline. Discipline is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.
4. Supplement
By supplementing your income you are able to free up funds and put them to good use. In your business you may only make enough for the necessities; extra income can translate into growth. When you rely on one income stream it’s hard to get your money working for you, and if that one income stream dries up in most cases bankruptcy will follow. The same can be said for supplementing your diet.
When you rely strictly on your diet alone, you rely on that one stream of nutrition to get in everything your body needs to live, grow, and recover. When you aren’t getting all the nutrients your body needs you can’t work at an optimal level and achieving your goals will be much harder and eventually, your body is bankrupt and depleted. If your diet fails, the supplements that you incorporate into your plan can help fill in the gaps where your diet is lacking. In a recent study it was reported that upwards of 80% of all people don’t get everything they need from their diets alone, so supplementing your diet with even the basics is a smart thing to do.
Multivitamin- multi-minerals, BCAA’s, Fish oils, and protein powders are some great basic supplements that can be of benefit to your diet plan and in turn translate into growth.
5. Lay off the credit
To be successful you shouldn’t rely on the use of credit as a means to make your business work. It’s easy to go overboard and overspend, and before you know it you are laden with debt and work to pay your debt rather than to grow your business. If you have a solid plan in place, with a strong workout regimen and diet, stick to it. Some people incorporate cheat meals into their diet, which is ok, but in doing so it’s very easy to go overboard.
You think that because you worked so hard you have built up credit and can use it however you want. What started out as a cheat meal turns into a cheat day and in some cases a cheat week and beyond. You keep telling yourself that it’s ok and that you are capable of reversing what you have done and in a sense pay off the credit you have used to get ahead again or back to par. Some will make excuses and tell themselves that one extra tablespoon of peanut butter won’t hurt, or that they already messed up for the day so why not eat whatever they want that day and they will start back strong the next. This is all a means to an end and a practice you should never let get between you and the goals you have set for yourself.
6. Get rid of your debt
Going into or keep a business going is always harder when you are burdened with debt. It’s best to keep your debt low to zero and have that capital to work with. In health and fitness debt would be the equivalent of fat. Having an overabundance of fat will make your journey more difficult and make achieving your goals harder than it needs to be. The most prominent health benefit derived from a low body fat percentage is the reduced risk of heart problems that may arise due to clogged arteries or veins. Studies have shown that people with more fat around their abdomen are more likely to suffer from Type 2 Diabetes than those with lesser body fat around the waist.
Low body fat reduces the risk of various types of cancers such as ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, and colon cancer in females. In males, chances of prostate cancer and colon cancer are reduced. Low body fat is associated with a reduced risk of Sleep Apnea, which can cause shortness of breath and possibly even lead to heart attacks in some cases. So reduce your fat “debt” and live a better life.
7. SAVE SAVE SAVE
Nothing happens overnight but accumulates over time. To be successful at anything you need to allow the time necessary to accomplish your goals and let your hard work add up, like money in the bank. Whether it is gaining muscle, knowledge, losing weight, etc.; whatever it is, everything takes time and patience. It takes time to develop the healthy behaviors needed to look or feel the way that you want, but they all add up to contribute to your overall goal and before you know it you have accomplished what you initially set in place as your end goal.
After about a month of consistency, you will have developed a habit and you will find that everything you initially may have had a hard time doing becomes effortless and becomes a normal part of your day to day life. You look more how you want to, you have the knowledge to help put your plan in place, and after seeing results your motivation level also increases. Sit down and assess your goals. Look realistically at the time needed to achieve your goals. Then create the best path for you.
Guest post by Brandan Fokken (IG @brandanfokken)