Are you the fit entrepreneur you need or want to be? I was trying to keep up with my daughter at the playground and I ran out of gas! It was a wake up call that my current level of fitness just wasn’t good enough.
Weekdays tend to be quite structured with business being a significant focus of time and energy. When it comes to weekends there is usually something that needs to be done around the house. Because if this I believe it’s important to consciously fit in quality family time and be ready for whatever that might look like.
It was a weekend of spring cleaning and yard work that could have been pretty demanding by itself but there was to be a whole lot more. It started one fine Sunday morning when the neighbours rented a power rake and asked if I wanted in on it. Sure, I said, thinking it would be much easier than using my hand operated thatch rake and much cheaper than hiring it out to the guy walking around the neighbourhood offering the service.
Well, it ended up opening the flood gates to pulling the leaves from the garden and flower beds, pulling weeds, fan raking, and mowing. Half a day and 13 full bags later the yard looked great!
I was feeling the fatigue in my legs and hips and low back tightness from the postural strain. It was certainly more than I had been used to over the winter. I was hardly the fit entrepreneur I thought I was.
With thoughts of a nice relaxing afternoon reclining on a lawn chair on the deck dancing through my mind I was jolted back to reality by my daughter reminding me that my wife needed some quiet time for her studies that afternoon and we had plans to go bike riding.
A promise is a promise. The lawn chair could wait.
Off we went for our ride along the pathways of our community. Thankfully her pace isn’t too fast yet. It was a nice relaxing ride around the ponds, through the forest, ending at… of course… the playground.
All rides inevitably end at the playground.
Sometimes she likes to play on her own or find friends to play with. Not on this day.
She’d been watching a show lately called Splatalot. Contestants see how fit they are as they go through an obstacle course where defenders try to knock them off track. Well, my daughter began to create her own obstacle course at the playground. Not quite to the extreme of the show and nobody trying to knock you off track but one day I am sure it will get there.
She had me time her as she went through a couple of times. Then she informed me it was my turn. What? No. Then the excuses came. I’m too tired. I’m too big. I’m too…
Didn’t matter to her. She wanted to play with her dad. “C’mon dad, lets see how fit you are!” So here we go…
With my legs feeling like rubber and my back tied up in knots I took off climbing up the wall, across the zip line, up the stairs, down the pole, up more stairs, and contorting to fit through bars I was certain I could not fit through. All along she’s cheering me on.
Now, hovering above the sand pit, she’s yelling at me to jump beyond a shadow line she is standing at. It’s sand, right? Soft landing, right? Not! As I land I feel the jarring thud from my feet right up through my spine. You’re almost done dad, keep going! One more time up the stairs and down the slide to the finish line.
I made it… barely!
High fives all around.
When to step up your game and be The Fit Entrepreneur
Riding home all I could think was “I need to step up my fitness game”. I felt I was in pretty good shape but not for a day like this. Being a fit entrepreneur would make times like these even more enjoyable. They would certainly add to my energy for business and at home. I know the inevitable muscle soreness would also not be as severe. What made it all worthwhile on this day was how I felt inside, the smile on my daughter’s face all afternoon long, and my wife’s appreciation for having uninterrupted time that afternoon.
We’ll all have days like this. Days when you’d rather flake out on the couch. Days when you do more than you should. Days when you wish you could do be doing more and end up saying no to really fun things. Days that make you see the need for change.
When wondering whether or not you need to step up your game and be more fit as an entrepreneur you might consider measures from an annual medical such as blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure levels, etc. You might have heard from your doctor regarding a risk of heart disease or diabetes or something else. All good reasons to make changes.
You might also look at typical health and fitness markers. Things like your weight, how your clothes fit, your blood pressure, your VO2max, your resting heart rate, and others. These could be relevant markers too.
But what really matters is how you assess your ability to be and do what is really important to you in your world at work, home, and play. When you see this clearly you can then unveil what element(s) of your health and well being is limiting you. You can get the support you need and begin to take steps to change and improve it.
Before long when someone says “c’mon lets play” you’ll be able to jump right in without any stories, excuses, or fears standing in your path.
Not sure how to create the time and space and start along the path of the fit entrepreneur? Contact me for a consultation. I know I can help.
If you like the idea of peer mentorship from those who have similar dreams and face similar challenges as you then consider our One Wave Global Community. Together we’ll create and experience all it is to live The One Wave Lifestyle.
