Most people have tried to lose weight or get in shape at one point in their life. The fitness journey is much like starting a business. The concepts are similar and we can learn from them and apply them to our journey as an entrepreneur. Here are some of the lessons I learned.
1. It takes more than one night to be an overnight success.
When I decided to get in shape, I went for a jog around the block; I cut of sugar from my tea and all sorts of different activities. I was so excited, and I wanted to see instant results. I wanted somehow to be in shape and have that great body and be super fit after 3 days. Obviously it did not work that way. Actually I think I looked bigger and I think my scale is broken because I actually gained weight. It can be after a few weeks of constantly working on the exercise routine that people start noticing. A lot of times people assume this is how it will work when starting your own business. You are going to walk up to the very first person and they are going to buy your product, they are going to invest in your vision and you are going to make a massive profit. Wouldn’t that be awesome! Then when you get into it and start something you find all these barriers and even some people who recommend you give up! Do not be turned off by this. Just like exercising, results can take more than one night to become an overnight success.
2. It is not always fun but the results are!
I never feel like exercising. I get home and I had a long day in the office so I just want to relax in front of the couch and in the morning it’s too cold to actually get up earlier and exercise before I go to work. I wish there was some kind of pill or medicine you can take that miraculously gets you into shape. Then there is the small issue of watching I eat! I love burgers, chips and custard donuts and in order to make sure I lose the weight I had to give those things up. This reminded me of all the sacrifices I have to make everyday for my business. Sometimes you have to work a little longer than most people, sometimes you have to give some luxuries for the long term vision. It will definitely be worth it in the end.
3. You have to be intentional
In my journey to keep fit I have had to be apply different strategies. Not only do I have to run, but I also need to watch my weight. I had to be intentional with the exercises I chose. I only wanted to lose weight and work on a flat tummy but I did not want to get the big biceps and muscles so I decided not to use the heavy dumbbells. Similarly you have to use various strategies to build your business. Make sure you have a business plan to constantly assess if your strategies are appropriate for your vision. Be intentional about where you want to go and how you will get there. A business plan is a blessing here.
These are just some ways that exercising is similar to starting a business. If you can think of other ways the two are similar please write it in a comment below.
(adapted from original posted on Vongai’s blog zezone.weebly.com)
