We’ve all heard it before – success comes from hard work and sacrifice. But what if I told you that the secret to success isn’t about hustling harder?
Rather, it’s more about taking care of yourself – both mentally and physically. That’s right! The key to unlocking your true potential lies in making sure that you are healthy, happy, and well-rested.
In this blog post, we’ll be exploring why self-care is so important for achieving success as well as how you can incorporate it into your daily routine. So keep reading to learn the truth behind what really separates successful people from those who aren’t quite there yet!
The Illusion We’re All Told From Others’ Success Stories
It’s easy to get caught up in other people’s success stories on social media, especially those from influencers and ‘gurus’. We often think that if we just work harder, longer hours, and make more sacrifices then we’ll be able to replicate their results.
But while hustling is great and certainly puts you ahead of the competition, it’s not a sustainable approach. Eventually, your mental and physical health will suffer as a result of all that hard work – leading to burnout and disappointment.
➜ Related Post: Sacrificing Health Doesn’t Help You Achieve Your Goals Faster – Here’s Why
The Truth Behind Hard Work and Hustle
While it’s true that many successful and high-profile entrepreneurs put in 60 to 80 hours per week, really successful people don’t neglect their mental health and self-care or time with family, hobbies, or other interests.
Now, this may seem impossible to achieve – because really, who has that kind of energy?!!
But it is possible – and the truth is, we’re all capable of achieving great things, and we all have the energy potential to be able to do so.
The issue is, most of us don’t know how to manage our energy, and don’t think about prioritising it because we’re too busy chasing our goals and dreams.
And when we do, we look for quick fixes, like caffeine and extreme diets. But really, we should be taking a more holistic approach to self-care – one that involves getting enough sleep, nutritious food, exercise, and time away from our screens.
A Holistic Approach Takes More Effort – But Only At First
Now, if you’re currently already low on energy, taking a more holistic approach to self-care probably sounds like even more work you don’t have the energy for. In fact, it’s probably the last thing you want to do – taking the time to think about your nutrition, to exercise, and unplug from electronics.
But here’s the thing – if you can commit to taking care of yourself, it will become easier over time. The hardest part of change is taking the first step – once you start to get some wins on the board and see your energy levels improve, then it will become second nature.
One Easy Way To Get Started: Set Clear Boundaries
One of the reasons why we lose energy, productivity, and eventually our goals, is that we don’t set clear boundaries.
Often this can happen because we don’t know how to say ‘no’ and set limits around what we will and won’t do. But we all have a finite amount of energy – so it’s important that we learn to recognise our own personal limits, as well as create boundaries with others.
It’s well documented that many successful high-profile entrepreneurs set clear boundaries around their physical and mental limits. In fact, this is key to achieving success without burning out.
For example, Arianna Huffington of The Huffington Post starts each day by avoiding her phone and setting aside time for yoga, meditation and journaling – which all help her cultivate a sense of calm and balance before diving into the hustle of running a successful business.
Some Quick Ways You Can Start Setting Healthy Boundaries
Now, to start setting boundaries, you don’t need to go around saying ‘no’ to everything. In fact, it’s probably better to start with something small.
After all, setting and keeping boundaries is a new habit, and most likely a bit of an identity shift for you if you’re used to hustling hard and taking on way too much – so it’s important to start with something that isn’t too overwhelming.
So here’s a few quick and easy things you can do:
- Turn off notifications to your phone and other devices after a certain hour each day.
- Designate a certain time of day to check your email – and only check it during that timeframe.
- Create specific times during the day when you don’t work, e.g. lunchtime or from 7–9pm – and stick to it no matter how tempted you are.
- If you can, say ‘No’ to distractions that might take away from your focus and energy levels, such as attending unnecessary events or meetings. If you can’t avoid meetings, try to limit how much time you spend in them.
- Make sure that you always take at least one full day’s rest every week. This means no phone, no emails, and absolutely nothing work-related.
- Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep per night if possible. If you can’t, then see if you can set aside time to ‘catch up’ on sleep on the weekends.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, setting boundaries and taking good care of yourself is essential if you want to achieve success without burning out.
It takes effort in the beginning, but once you start seeing wins from your efforts and gains in energy levels, it quickly becomes second nature. So why not try it today? You won’t regret it!
Jen Edge
P.S. If you’re looking for tailored 1-on-1 advice on how to best set clear boundaries and make changes to your lifestyle that will increase your energy levels, then I highly recommend booking a FREE 45-minute Energy Optimisation Session call.
I’ll help you identify what’s currently draining your energy, come up with a 90-day action plan on how to restore it, and set you up for success.