5 Ways to Love Your Life (& Business)

As a business owner it can feel like your work is never really done. Your business, your clients, your team is always on your mind - so much so that sometimes you forget to stop and take stock in all the other important aspects of your life and if you are even HAPPY. If you are anything like us you not only started our business because you were passionate about helping people, but also because you wanted to create a lifestyle for yourself and your family that allowed you to truly enjoy this one precious life you have to live.

So today we are pondering this question: how do we learn to embrace the journey of our lives (inside and outside of our business) and find gratitude and joy in the day to day? 

Here are 5 tips to get you started:

1. Embrace Joy – Imagine this… you had a good day. Maybe something amazing happened or maybe your day was simply absent of thrills. Essentially the day went your way – you finished your coffee while it was still hot, you cranked out your to-do list and you had lunch with a close friend. And yet as the day winds down you start to feel a sense of panic rush over you. Are you worrying that maybe things are going too well and you simply must be waiting for the other shoe to drop?

As adults we know that bad things can and do happen and that we are not immune to life’s pitfalls and the “what-ifs.” What if I lose someone close to me? What if one of my team member quits? What if I get sick? What if I fail? Unfortunately all this worrying ultimately robs us of our joy and casts a shadow on the things we do have to be grateful for. Instead of focusing on the present moment and all that is bringing us joy we tend to zoom in on the worst-case scenario.

Here’s a tip – remember that your track record with making it through hard things is 100%. You have (and have always had) the ability to figure things out. Don’t postpone your joy waiting on life to throw you a curve ball. Deal with the curve ball when it comes, and choose to be fully present and joyful in the moment.

2.  Celebrate Completion – As a culture we have been conditioned to constantly look for the next opportunity as a way to measure our success. When my business grows, when I can pay myself more, when I take that amazing vacation, when . . . then, I will feel grateful.

But what about all those amazing things (small and big) that you have already accomplished? Do you even stop to celebrate completion and a job well done? If not, you may start to feel like you’re on the achievement hamster wheel – always running but never really getting where you want to go.  

Take some time to acknowledge completion and celebrate your successes along the way. And yes, for the record… getting you and your family out of the door today is cause enough to celebrate.  

3.  Start EACH Day with Gratitude – We can’t stress this one enough! Even if you just take a few minutes at some point in the day to meditate or acknowledge a few things that you are grateful for, it can make a big difference in how you see the world. Learn to relish the small and the big as well as the mundane. You may even start to appreciate the process that life is taking you through. It is in this stillness and time of reflection that you start to move to a heart of genuine gratitude. We love the 5-Minute Gratitude Journal App as a great prompt to get you going each morning. It’s short and sweet and literally takes 5 minutes or less!

Practice gratitude each and every day… even on your toughest days.

4.  Treat Your Body Well – Okay we are wellness professionals so we should get this one, right?  Not always so.  But, one thing that is sure to up your gratitude factor is to intentionally honor your body by treating her well through proper nutrition, sleep, movement and rest. When you focus on the process of self-care instead of the result of self-care you realize your body is pretty amazing and worthy of your thankfulness. As you get stronger and healthier in body you realize that this same strength carries over to your mind and spirit. When you routinely treat your body well you start to become a stronger, healthier and happier woman, and that is certainly worth being grateful for.

We know it’s hard to prioritize self-care because as women business owners we are often juggling all.the.things so if you need help in this category throw out the lifeline for help. Jessica recently wrote a 2-part blog series on Self-Care so check it out here and here for some ways to get started.

5.  Embrace Your Inner Child – Children are natural born explorers and they intuitively move towards the things that bring them joy. Watch any child under the age of 8 and you’ll see what we mean. If they feel like running, climbing and playing then they do just that. If they are hungry they eat. If they need some time to go inward then they may read a book or play quietly. Essentially, they are intuitive beings and they allow their own wants, desires and needs to drive their decision making.

As we get older – especially as women we often look to others or to society for the answers to figure out what we want. Be honest: when was the last time you “googled” something that you knew even Google didn’t have the answer to? Deep down you felt that the answer would come from within, but because you have spent so many years being conditioned to turn that voice off then you couldn’t even call it up when you needed it.

Learn to follow your intuition without apology.

Ok so there you have it… 5 action steps to adopt an attitude of gratitude all year long and keep your body and mind healthy and happy through all the ups and downs of business ownership. Let’s keep the conversation going in the Wellness Studio Business Owners. Come join your tribe of fellow fitness and wellness business owners who are having real and authentic about how to lead in business and in life!

And finally we want to say a huge THANK YOU to every person in this community. Your hopes, your dreams, your stories, your businesses, all keep us moving forward and bringing you more resources that will help you build your dream business and live your best LIFE. We are so grateful for you, and we are excited to see where your journey takes you. Keep showing up, keep doing the work, keep being BOLD.

With love and gratitude,