Finding Balance

Finding Balance

We all know we need to take care of ourselves, but for some strange reason we often don’t take the time to make our health a priority. Whether there doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day or you feel fine so why worry – health is something many of us don’t think about until we have to. After reading one such individual’s story, I feel his realizations may be helpful to many of you.

1. Put Yourself First

If you don’t make time for yourself, when will you have time? So get your calendar out and schedule daily appointments with yourself. Make these appointments a priority and don’t break them. All you need is 30 minutes. In this time you can exercise then grab a quick shower or take a non-fast-food lunch. Make it a routine, everything else that you need to do can be scheduled around these dedicated times. If you know you have a busy day, take a few minutes to pack a healthy lunch  to eat at your desk.

2. Review Your Numbers

Regular reports help to keep you moving toward your benchmarks and goals. Without them you may be moving in the opposite direction and not even know.

Monitor your weight. Get your cholesterol and blood pressure checked — regularly. Know your personal risk factors and keep track of them. You can use a mobile app or try building a simple spreadsheet with some graphs to track your progress over time. Seeing your progress can motivate you and encourage you to continue those healthy behaviors.

3. Set Goals

Set goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Yes, SMART goals! Weight, exercise, cholesterol, blood pressure and other key health factors are easy to measure. Use them as the basis for your goals.

Don’t forget to keep your goals realistic. As much as we may want to believe we are super heroes or perfect all the time, we aren’t. And if we set goals like we are, we are setting ourselves up to fail. Give yourself time and set achievable benchmarks which will give you a sense of accomplishment and motivation to keep working toward your goal.

4. Put as much energy into running your body as you do your other tasks

You put a great deal of time, thought and energy into managing your work, home and social life. Why wouldn’t you dedicate similar effort to taking care of yourself? The benefits are huge and neglecting to take care of your health can be devastating.

If you’re not taking care of yourself, you’re letting yourself and others down. Get started today!

To read the whole story visit: http://www.inc.com/mike-figliuolo/entrepreneurs-health-wellness.html