5 Ways Business Goals Mirror Fitness Goals Do you constantly go from "all in" in terms of fitness and working out back to "Man, I need to get back into my fitness routine"?
By Jonathan Long •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
One of the most common things I hear entrepreneurs and business owners discuss outside of the office is how they need to get back into the gym and focus on their health. I'm guilty of this as well -- constantly going from "all in" in terms of fitness and working out back to "Man, I need to get back into my fitness routine!"
Take a look at the similarities below -- when you take a step back and think about it you will realize that the qualities that make you a successful entrepreneur are the same that help you reach your fitness goals.
1. Results don't happen overnight.
You aren't going to build a successful business, drop 10 pounds or develop a shredded six-pack in a matter of days, weeks or even months. You have to be willing to put in the work -- many people fail because they expect to see immediate results.
It just doesn't work that way, so be prepared to put your head down and grind. You will succeed as long as you are willing to work hard until you reach your goal, no matter how long it takes.
Related: Why Exercising Is a Higher Priority Than My Business
2. Success requires a complete plan.
You can't just wing it and expect to be successful -- you need a detailed plan to get from start to finish. You aren't going to lose weight and develop a healthy lifestyle if you don't have a concrete diet -- eating on the fly will lead you to making unhealthy food choices. The people that have a detailed diet, prep their food and stick to a workout plan hit their goals.
If you arrive at your office daily without a plan you start every day in the hole and at a disadvantage. You should have yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily goals, which all work together to create a "big picture" plan.
3. Step away from your comfort zone.
Both starting a business and adapting a healthy lifestyle require that you become far removed from your comfort zone. When you start a business you place a huge weight on your shoulders. Your success or failure not only affects you, but now it directly impacts your family and employees and their families.
Every year around this time I do a 10-day super cleanse. It's not a walk in the park. It requires complete dedication and mental toughness -- it's a week and a half of liquid super foods. I've been doing it for about six years now and it's a struggle, but it's well worth it in the end. I start my annual cleanse later this week -- follow me on Twitter if you want to see me suffer or tease me with pictures of ice cream and burritos.
Related: 8 Do's and Don'ts of Health, Happiness and Success (Infographic)
4. Make your goals attainable.
It's important that you always set goals that are reachable. This isn't to say that you should create easy goals just for the sake of hitting them -- but they need to be feasible.
If you're 20 pounds overweight and haven't seen the inside of a gym in over a year then losing those 20 pounds in a month isn't a realistic goal. You can keep the same goal, but spread it over four months, with the goal to drop five pounds per month. That once unrealistic goal is now attainable.
The same principle applies to business. If you just launched a new software-as-a-service product and are working with a limited marketing budget it might be unrealistic to set a goal of acquiring 1,000 new customers in your first month. Instead, spread that goal out over a few months and work in some creative strategies such as referral and affiliate programs to help you reach your goal.
5. Embrace the lifestyle.
If you want results you are going to need to embrace the lifestyle. Whether that means getting up earlier in the morning to hit the gym and preparing your meals for the week every Sunday evening -- or putting in long hours at the office every night while your friends are home watching TV and spending time with their families.
If you aren't willing to accept the hard work and effort required, then you will quickly resent your business. Failure is certain once you begin to dislike what you are doing.
Any goal is attainable when you are prepared -- and part of the preparation involves the right resources. If you are looking for resources to help your business, check out my company's blog as well as our EBOC blog -- both provide daily information to help with online marketing, branding and growth.
What other similarities exist between fitness and business goals? Share your input in the comments section below.
Related: It's Time to Check In on These 5 Healthy Habits You Resolved to Keep
