Does it start with 5am wake ups, cold plunges and sauna rotations followed by green juices and a workout?
Bet you expected me to say no, huh? Okay I’m saying half yes. It does start with 5am wake ups, splashing my face with cold water, occasional immunity juice shots, a green smoothie, and a workout. Close enough right?
Have I always done these things? Absolutely not. Do I do them 7 days a week? Also no. Are you tired of me asking questions for me only to answer myself? Me too. But alas, I will keep doing it.
We typically envision people who do many or any of these things as absolutely ripped, ab-obsessed men who go to Whole Foods a little too often, right? I did too until I realized that some of the most successful people in the world are women and while we have to do more to be seen as even remotely close to equal if that, we can do hard shit too. Which leads me to my favorite one-up; is doing it as a fat person too. Not letting my appearance dictate how I show up in the world is and will likely always be a life-long mountain…but I like to climb. In fact, my internal monologue says I have to, it’s inherent to who I am.
So, showing up. What does this mean exactly? Showing up, to me, means committing to the things you say you want to do whether it’s to yourself or to others no. Matter. What.
Why is my health necessarily tied into my success as an entrepreneur? This one took me a minute to fully grasp but in reading the many business and entrepreneurial books that I read, (whilst on the treadmill — could not recommend trying this more if you have access to a screen big enough i.e. an iPad) success does not start when you sit down at your desk every day. It starts with your mindset. If we want to dive even deeper into it, do yourself a favor and read The 5AM Club and really pay attention to the points about mindset, heartset, healthset and soulset. Absolutely game-changing.
Now that I understand, success in life is not just what you want it to be, I can understand that your success is usually a direct reflection of your life on the inside. Getting your shit together will cause you to be successful, if you let it.
But it starts with showing up. Identify your weaker spots that need improvement. Is it feeling groggy every day because you haven’t moved your body in months, years? Is your diet causing you to feel deflated and bogged down? Is your romantic relationship draining the life out of you? Do you feel you have minute adjustments that will help you be and feel successful in your life every day? Does any of what I mentioned hurt just a little too much? Pay attention to those. They’re exactly what you need to address.
You likely already know what you need to do, but if you don’t I’m going to give you a few examples of the ways I show up for myself each day that help me in achieving my own success.
- Waking up EARLY; for me this means about 5-5:30. Do I sit in bed for 20 minutes scrolling first? Absolutely. This is a weak point for me that I actively work on.
- Meal prepping all meals; the less decisions I need to make on a daily basis, the more focus and attention I can give to the big brain problem solving I need to do when I’m at work. Do I do it 7 days a week? Nope, I know that I love food and social outings often mean fun foods. I don’t say no to these. But having prepared meals that make me feel good is a huge part of this.
- Speaking of saying no, Saying no; this is a tough one for a lot I know but when I tell you the amount of consistent peace I feel in my life when I say no to what isn’t a “fuck yes” is insurmountable. If it isn’t contributing to my life in some way that aligns with my vision of success, I say no. Protecting my inner and outer peace is non-negotiable.
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Exercising consistently; there is a lot to say on this and I recognize that it can be a sore spot for so many, but I love the gym. I love MY gym. If you aren’t a gym person, please take this with a grain of salt and do what works for YOU. That’s the most important thing. This is what I do. I read on the treadmill walking 2-4 miles, 5x a week. This keeps my heart healthy, I get my steps in and I feel so good. I also strength train 4x a week immediately following my cardio. (Yes I know this is “backwards”, I don’t care) I feel my best when I do a few muscle groups a day and I leave it at that. Additionally, I do mobility training 1x a week. Could I up this in theory? Yes. Do I want to spend more than the 75-90 minutes I already spend at the gym? I really don’t. But this helps me feel primed for a good, productive day as my best self.
The last part here I feel as if it’s crucial I touch on it because it’s one of my biggest struggles in showing up and I know it is for many other people. If I am feeling sick or know something is happening on my body, I rest. I do not push myself to the point of exhaustion or sickness. But I DO push myself to show up specifically on days where I’m just tired or low energy. Most times, I leave with more energy than I started with and I have never, ever regretted trying to get a workout in, because I know in my heart, this is how I take care of and show up for myself.
Priming myself for the best day possible is the least I can do to show up for myself because when I show up for myself, I am primed to show up for my business and GHD is my absolute top priority in my life. I hold massive responsibility on my shoulders as the owner of this business in the way that I have about 12 people who rely on me for jobs and I owe it to them at the very least to show up as my best self and leader I can be to not only contribute to my team, but also my local community and the incredible people who decide to patronize my business. I do this for myself, but I’m also doing it for all of them, and for all of you.
The key point I want to make in this whole post is showing up even when you don’t want to. Actually, especially when you don’t want to. Truly successful people are those who are willing to do what others are not. This specifically is what sets them apart from the median; the gall and bravery to do what others aren’t willing to, are afraid of, or cannot do. It’s not showing up to work on time, it’s showing up for you. Every day. Even when it’s hard, especially when it’s hard. Motivation is limited fleeting for every single person. The most successful people don’t have endless amounts of it, but they have discipline to show up even when that reserve is depleted.
If you’re the type who’s read this all the way through and thought to yourself…holy shit, I haven’t been showing up for myself, I want to challenge you to do exactly that and see how it feels. Do it for however long feels truly manageable and tell me that it doesn’t lift your spirit. I dare ya ;)
xx,
Amanda
Owner & Founder of GHD