1. Get in a workout before you come to work.  The endorphins will last for hours. If the stress is getting to you, increase your workout intensity.  Intervals work best because your day is made up of intervals, highs and lows.
2. Take breaks during the day.  A break every hour for 5-10 minutes will be enough to decompress your day.  Walk away from your desk.  Drink some water.  Eat a quality snack like a handful of nuts or a few bites of a power bar.
3. Call a friend that is always in a good mood or has a joke for you.  When asked why he was such a good putter Gary Player said, “I hang out with good putters.”  Stay positive by being around positive people.
4. Put up reminders in your office of your purpose in being there. Goals you want to achieve.  Pictures of family.  That vacation you are working for.  That new car.
5. Stay on a schedule.  If you are going to work hard until 6pm and then go home, go home at 6:00.  If your work isn’t done, set a plan to work the next night until 8 and then go home.  Don’t just hang out at the office. Have a plan including your work hours.

The worse thing you can do is avoid the stress because it will continue to build to an unmanageable level. Be ready, confident and able to meet the challenges of your day by maintaining your health, sleep, exercise and balance of life/work.

Our advisors deliver one-of-a-kind service.  If you would like to learn more, join our member-only website or sign-up for one of our coaching programs.

“We grow the aspects of our lives that we feed – with energy and engagement – and choke off those we deprive of fuel. Your live is what you agree to attend to.” Jim Loehr

Robert, one of our Supernova clients told me he was trying to exercise more regularly and eat more balanced meals. What was his secret?

Where was this discipline coming from?

His son, who is a Division 1 athlete, is very focused and disciplined in holding him accountable. He says no one could hold him accountable better than his son.

Having a coach can change everything for you.

What are the key benefits of having a coach:

1. Big Picture: Where you may be focused in on one aspect of your business your coach can see the whole picture and helps you with motivation and advice.
2. Procrastination – we all know what to do but we put it off. To be a corporate athlete you have to have discipline and rituals. Supernova will give you specific rituals that are a part of your day to day routine. Once these new habits are in place the discipline comes easy.
3. Expertise: A coach is your personal mentor that will guide you along the way to best practices you might not have thought of. He or she talks to hundreds of advisor’s a year and know what works and what doesn’t.
4. Faster Growth: The fastest way to accelerate your growth is to have a coach help you achieve your goals. A coach will give you the confidence to ask for new business, bring balance into your life, get more organized and focus on what is important.
5. More Energy: Working with a coach will give you back the enthusiasm and excitement you first had when you started the business. You will make breakthroughs you never thought were possible and that is the magic of the process.

If you are looking for a coach who will hold you accountable and give you the tools to get organized, grow your practice and get in shape through the Supernova program we will be glad to give you a free consultation to see if we are a fit.

In the Supernova program our clients work on becoming corporate athletes. Why? Corporate athletes perform with less effort and greater efficiency.  Energy has four dimensions that work in tandem to make you the best you can be. If you are lacking in any of the four areas your work will suffer.

 

First is mental toughness or the ability to perform at the highest levels in stressful situations. You become mentally tough by being prepared, creating rituals and best practices that you can rely on in hard times.

 

Second is spiritual energy or having a good set of values, a clear vision of where you are going and a great support system in family and friends.

 

Third is emotional energy or having a great attitude, being positive and enthusiastic. You create rituals around keeping that good attitude during stressful situations

 

And fourth is physical energy obtained by getting the proper amount of sleep, exercise and diet and keeping your weight in the normal range. This is one of the hardest areas for us because we use work as an excuse to not take time for ourselves. If we are healthy there is a tendency to take it for granted and not do the maintenance to keep our bodies at peak performance.

 

We recommend you read Jim Loehr’s book “The Power of Full Engagement.” He has a lot of solutions for managing your energy. And if you want more you can take his energy self profile on his website at: https://www.hpinstitute.com/assessment-tools#full-engagement-anchor.    It will help you obtain a snapshot of your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual energy, which may lead to increased performance.

 

The greatest gift you can give others is your energy not your time. You can’t grow without energy. You won’t be a corporate athlete unless you keep your energy levels at their peak.

 

There is a story of the young Indian who set out to do his ‘coming of age’ quest.  Before he goes he tells his grandfather he’s very afraid.  His grandfather says, ”Inside of you are two wolves.  One is fear and the other is courage.  Your success will depend on which one you feed.” We want to starve the fear and feed the courage.  These are simple premises but ones that we need to be reminded of from time to time.

There are a few things as refreshing as taking time away from the office. While there are financial advisors who seem to spend a lot of time away there are more advisors who feel that they cannot be away from the office. At Supernova, we believe time away from the office is important. Time with family, time to think and plan, time to read and be challenged and inspired, is time well spent.

Our business not only requires careful attention, it requires your energy. Energy not only comes from taking good care of yourself, eating right, getting enough sleep, and exercising; it comes from renewal and rest away from the office. Remember, your clients really want your energy and that is hard to have available when it is being used up every day by all the things that happened, expected and unexpected, in your office.

Working hard and working smart also means renewing your strength and your energy by not always working…taking vacations, days off, learning, thinking, and sometimes simply doing nothing. Getting burnt out is often a result of not being able to build up your energy by being away.  Restorative time is also a productive time.

The Supernova process helps you find the right balance between work and pleasure…building your energy.  If you would like to learn more, join our member-only website or sign-up for one of our coaching programs.

Find out how many hours of sleep you and your loved ones really need!  Refresh yourself on the basics behind sleep!

http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleeping.htm

Understanding sleep: By Melinda Smith, Lawrence Robinson, and Robert Segal

It’s not just the number of hours in bed that is important—it’s the quality of those hours of sleep. If you’re giving yourself plenty of time for sleep, but you’re still having trouble waking up in the morning or staying alert all day, you may not be spending enough time in the different stages of sleep—especially deep sleep and REM sleep. By understanding how the sleep cycles work and the factors that can lead to those cycles being disrupted, you’ll be able to start getting both the quantity and the quality of sleep you need.

Your internal 24-hour sleep-wake cycle, otherwise known as biological clock or circadian rhythm, is regulated by processes in the brain that respond to how long you’ve been awake and the changes between light and dark. At night, your body responds to the loss of daylight by producing melatonin, a hormone that makes you sleepy. During the day, sunlight triggers the brain to inhibit melatonin production so you feel awake and alert.

This sleep-wake cycle can be disrupted by factors such as nightshift work, traveling across time zones, or irregular sleeping patterns, leaving you feeling groggy, disoriented, and sleepy at inconvenient times. The production of melatonin can also be thrown off when you’re deprived of sunlight during the day or exposed to too much artificial light at night, disrupting the sleep-wake cycle and preventing you from getting the sleep you need.

How many hours of sleep do you need?

Average Sleep Needs
Age	Hours
Newborns (0-2 months)	12 – 18
Infants (3 months to 1 year)	14 – 15
Toddlers (1 to 3 years)	12 – 14
Preschoolers (3 to 5 years)	11 – 13
School-aged children (5 to 12 years)	10 – 11
Teens and preteens (12 to 18 years)	8.5 – 10
Adults (18+)	7.5 – 9

There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get by on and the amount you need to function optimally. Just because you’re able to operate on 7 hours of sleep doesn’t mean you wouldn’t feel a lot better and get more done if you spent an extra hour or two in bed. The best way to figure out if you’re meeting your sleep needs is to evaluate how you feel as you go about your day. If you’re logging enough hours, you’ll feel energetic and alert all day long, from the moment you wake up until your regular bedtime.

Think six hours of sleep is enough?

Think again. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco discovered that some people have a gene that enables them to do well on 6 hours of sleep a night. But the gene is very rare, appearing in less than 3% of the population. For the other 97% of us, six hours doesn’t come close to cutting it.

 

We all know a healthy diet, exercise and regular sleep results in more stamina and sustained energy throughout the day. This is especially important for the corporate athlete. Little things like healthy snacks can make a tremendous difference in balancing your energy level. According to Jim Loehr, “Time can’t be expanded but energy can. If you bring the best energy you can possibly muster, what we call full engagement there is a mixture of energy that is almost magical, and that’s a precious gift you can give to yourself, your family and your business.  On the physical side you need to get eight hours of sleep, eat a small meal or snack every three to four hours, drink enough water, moving around every ninety minutes and excercise regularly.”

Although these are only little tips, they can add up and make a big difference.

1.       Apple over Coffee:  Many people rely on their morning coffee to wake them up and help them gear up for the day.  However, trade in your coffee for an apple.  Although an apple does not contain caffeine which provides that instant get-up energy, it is more effective at keeping you awake throughout the morning due to the sugar fructose which the body releases slowly into the bloodstream according to Livestrong.com.

2.       Bike over Car: Depending on how far away your work is, try biking to work.  Not only does biking to work get you in better shape, it’s cheaper!

3.       Stairs over Elevator: The climb up the stairs can help get your blood moving and helps you feel more awake and ready to embrace the day!  This simple flip can tone your quad and glute muscles.

4.       Walking over Sitting: Getting up at least once every hour can make a big difference especially if you are feeling tired.  It is an instant refresher because it gets your blood circulating.  If you can take a quick walk outside, even better!

Quick but Healthy Snacks

1. Nuts: Almonds, cashews, walnuts, and pecans are great at the office because they are nonperishable.  Some may shy away from nuts due to their high fat content but they are full of healthy, unsaturated fats which can lower your risk for heart disease.
2. Sunflower seeds: Like nuts, these are a perfect snack for on-the-go people.  In my opinion, sunflower seeds are better than nuts because they provide healthy fat along with protein to sustain you for longer.  They are also a good source of Vitamin E which helps your skin and hair look more radiant.  Plain sunflower seeds are a little dull so try buying flavored sunflower seeds like hot & spicy or honey-sweetened seeds.
3. Apples: It is quick and easy to grab for a late-afternoon snack.  The dietary fiber increases satiety which can hold off hunger for longer.  This fruit was number one on the list for the dirty dozen for 2011 so it is best to buy this fresh fruit organic.  Even if it is not organic, an apple is better than a bag of Cheese It’s.
4. Bananas: This naturally sealed fruit is perfect for a hectic lifestyle.  It contains an abundant amount of potassium and can ward off against cramps which are mostly caused by dehydration.
5. Raisins, crasins, and more:  Dried fruit is a fantastic because it can last longer than fresh fruit.  There is a wide variety of dried fruit so just find what you like.  Some of my personal favorites include apple chips, crasins, golden raisins, banana chips, and dried apricots.  Dried fruit and sunflower seeds or nuts can be used to create a sweet and delightful trail mix.
6. Peanut butter: Having a jar of peanut butter around can be very helpful.  Like sunflower seeds, peanut butter contains protein and mostly unsaturated fat.  Peanut butter not only tastes good with jelly but also with celery, bananas, apples, crackers, and many other foods.
7.  Carrots, celery, and more: Carrots are a crunchy snack abundant with vitamin A.  Just plop in a bag and go!  Carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower or peppers with hummus is a perfect pick-me-up snack.
8. Popcorn: Microwavable popcorn is a quick hearty snack for at home or at the office. This whole grain contains a surprising amount of dietary fiber—more than some fruits.

 

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