It’s easy to buy a new course, invest in a new piece of software or hire a VA. But for most entrepreneurs, it’s not so easy to eat the right things, move our bodies once a day or practice delegation so we don’t over fill our work plate.
Fern White BDS, a dental surgeon, certified high performance coach, and the CEO of two seven-figure businesses is committed to making sure every high performing entrepreneur is investing in themselves as much as their businesses. Why? Because the ROI is worth it.
Here are the five reasons Dr. Fern says we need to be investing in ourselves.
1. Investing In Yourself Has The Greatest ROI
Most people easily choose investing externally when it comes to business. They download a new piece of software or hire a social media manager to move their company forward.
“While investing externally might solve one or a few problems (like hours lost writing Instagram posts), investing internally solves infinite problems. Investing “internally” means improving your mental acuity, for example, starting your day with a morning ritual that clears you mind, upgrading your physical performance by making time for regular breaks every 15 minutes through the day for movement and hydration or boosting your communication skills by practicing doing Facebook Lives more often,” says Dr. White.
Despite a perpetual rollercoaster of changes in any business or economic environment, investing internally means that you focus on the one constant in the company equation: You.
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2. Your Business Is A Reflection Of You
You not only set the mission of your business, you also set the values and the tone of your business. If you are frantic and stressed, then these qualities will translate into the vibe of your company. However, if you are calm and collected, your business will mirror this.
“Whether you’re hiring, firing, setting expectations or creating boundaries, how you behave is reflected in your team culture. So, if there is drama or gossiping in the office, rather than externalize blame (“it’s because of this person”), ask yourself, ‘What did I do or not do to create this?’ What you ignore, you condone,” notes Dr. White.
Partnering with a business coach who holds you accountable, working with a therapist who can help you unravel triggers impacting you or investing in online courses around leadership can help. You’ll be able to be the example of what you want your team and business to be.
3. When You Grow, Your Business Grows
Another reason a “You First” strategy is the smartest investment: When you invest in yourself, the challenges that would’ve toppled you months ago are overcome more swiftly and more easily. Think back to the challenges you faced when you first started your business. You can easily see how you would tackle them now had you invested in yourself right from the start by having the right coach or taking the right course.
“When you invest in your personal transformation and leadership skills, you also surround yourself with peers who uplift you,” says Dr. White. “This new tribe opens you up to new opportunities, solutions you may never have thought of, possibilities you never dreamed of, or partnerships you never had the courage to pursue.”
4. Running On Empty Is A Recipe For Disaster
“While I currently run two successful seven-figure businesses as a medical professional, ten years ago I was in breakdown mode. I thought success was measured in the amount of achievements I claimed—which helped me triple the revenue of my clinic,” remembers Dr. White. “But I had tripled my workload as a result and was pushing my body straight into a breakdown and ended up shaking and crying on my kitchen floor.”
Leaders spend a lot of energy and time supporting and serving others. Often, this means you can find yourself tense, overburdened and stretched far too thin.
“Living in a chronic state of stress has three negative outcomes,” says Dr. White. “First, it makes you stupid. We make poor decisions as leaders when our brain takes over to survive. The prefrontal cortex, the rational thinking part of us, goes offline.Second, it makes us worry about scarcity. We go into self-protection mode and we worry there is not enough of us to go around. So, we push ourselves and our team harder from a place of fear and panic.Third, we get sick. Bathing in constant stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) takes preference over the processing of all other hormones - our immunity and repair systems - amongst many others - are impaired and we become drained.”
The solution is taking time for yourself. You may have multiple businesses in your life, but there is only one you. This is not self indulgent or selfish, it is an absolute necessity - especially now. When you schedule in “me time” for recovery and rest, you fill yourself up with good nutrition, healthy hormones and calm thoughts. You will be able to think with more clarity and direction, make better decisions and create more ideas. You will have the energy to work more effectively. You will have more resilience to weather any business storms.
“It was only when I started investing in myself as much as I invested in my business that I was able to take back my health, find that elusive balance we all seek and still increase my revenue. For me, that meant starting a morning ritual, paying more attention to what I ate and incorporating more movement into my daily life,” Dr. White says.
5. It Helps You Live In Your Zone Of Genius
“When you don’t know how to delegate, clearly communicate, or train others, that means you’ll be spending a large chunk of your time working on menial tasks, micromanaging employees or, worse yet, re-doing other people’s work,” reminds Dr. White. “Investing in yourself by growing your leadership skills enables you to empower your team. You’ll be able to shift from being the business operator to the business owner. You’ll be able to spend more time in your ‘zone of genius.’ This is where you will create the most impact for your business, your life and all those you serve. It’s where you come alive as a leader, visionary and creator.”
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