Tonight’s one of those nights when I can’t seem to finish a post.
It’s not writer’s block – just the opposite in fact. It’s just a case of being excited about all the new ideas I have come up with.
A little while ago I got off the phone with one of my advisers and am excited to learn that I’m on the right track and am ready to move on to the next step in my training.
I started writing one post, then decided I had a better idea only to decide it wasn’t what I wanted to write tonight.
Fast forward to now and it’s getting late and I still don’t have a post finished.
Then it hit me, why not talk about one of the most undervalued keys to success – sleep.
There are many people out there who think that hard work is the key to success.
And while it is true that hard work is an element of success, it is not the only one.
There are many people out there going, going and going. And what does it get them?
Here are just a few of the things that can come from pushing ourselves too far.
- Exhaustion
- Stress
- Sleepless nights
- Declining health
- Stress
Just today one of my millionaire acquaintances posted on Facebook that he was separating from his wife. It came as quite a shock to me as I knew how much his family meant to him.
I couldn’t ask him what happened, but I would hazard a guess that it is part due to his work. Quite often this is the case.
Work often takes us away from our family. Work puts pressure on us and sometimes we bring that home with us at the end of the day.
It comes as no surprise that more than a few people who have gotten divorced over their spouses’ work.
To make matters worse for many people, work is also a chore.
Many of the people I know don’t love what they do…how do I know this? Because they tell me so nearly every time I talk to them.
Not in so many words, but if you read between the lines it’s easy to tell.
Writing this blog as well as take care of my family and clients isn’t always easy, but for me it’s a labor of love.
I’m one of those other people that actually loves what he does, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get tired.
I most definitely do. Just last week on Friday I intended to write another post and yet found myself passed out on the bed.
My body was telling me to take it easy.
So I did just that. I cut back on my blogs and on Saturday I called it an early night.
It most certainly helped.
One of the big secrets on achieving success was summed up by Jim Rohn, the man I consider to have been my biggest influence outside my own family. He said, “Some people don’t do well because they don’t feel well.”
Health is something as a teenager we take for granted, but as the years pile on it is easy to see just how true that statement is.
That’s one of the reasons I choose to cut back on my snacks and chocolate intake. My body just couldn’t take it anymore.
Our body is very much like a car. If we take care of it, we can get a lot out of it. If we push it too hard and don’t maintain it you’ll find yourself in the shop, otherwise known as the hospital for us humans.
But unlike a car we can’t change our body. We get one for life. Only we determine how well it is maintained.
We need to give your body and mind what they need. Our body needs exercise to maintain its strength, good food for energy, and rest to recover. Our mind needs pretty much the same thing. Exercise in the form of thought, good ideas for energy and rest to keep things in perspective.
So the next time you find yourself pushing yourself too hard. Take a step back and ask yourself is it really worth it.
Sometimes the answer is yes, so go for it.
But if the answer is no, give your body a reward. Get a message, take a nice long bath, put your feet up and enjoy your favorite TV show then crawl into bed and don’t bother turning on the alarm.
I think you’ll thank yourself in the morning.
Adrian Shepherd