This past weekend I went to Eben Pagan’s Guru-Mastermind Summit in Los Angeles with some of my inner circle business partners. This was actually the 4th and final event of a series that started back in June of 2008.
And I have to say, these seminars have been an complete ‘game changer’ for me. Not only is Eben an absolute genius when it comes to online marketing and product development, but the people who have come together to attend these seminars are seriously the best of the best…
I’ve met some of the most brilliant, fun-loving, and big-hearted people at these events… And many of them will be close friends and partners for a very long time!
This final seminar was about management… And it was chock full of golden nuggets and information that when implemented, have the potential to create the most drastic and radical shifts in your business and personal level of productivity. It’s all about stepping up your game and becoming a true ‘A’ player.
The biggest ‘take-away’ I got from this event was how utterly crucial it is to be efficient at self-management. Before you can run and manage a business, you have to learn how to run and manage yourself.
Eben, who is a $20 million a year business owner, has hired a personal coach to help him with the 4 most important facets of self management…
1.Food
2. Sleep
3. Exercise
4. Water consumption
It sounds pretty basic, but these are the foundational structures that will allow you to be most effective and powerful at what you do. If you learn how to manage these basic 4 areas of your life, you will see some serious transformations in a very short period of time.
Most people will sacrifice their sleep, health, diet, or exercise for the sake of business. They’ll stay up all hours working, eat junk food, or make excuses for skipping exercise because they say they just can’t make time.
But living this way is actually completely counterproductive. The more you ignore the foundational necessities for optimum health and focus, the more your business efforts will stagnate.
So, if you want to have the energy and stamina to really create some serious results, you have to make these 4 things a priority. It’s always helpful to take a moment to reflect on your own daily habits and see where you stand today. And then you can write down what your ideal goals are.
Eating healthy fruits and vegetables and avoiding processed foods and sugar is your best bet for an optimum diet. It’s also recommended that you get 8 8-oz glasses of water a day and chug as much as you can first thing in the morning to re-hydrate after a good night’s sleep. Also make sure you get 6-8 hours of sleep consistently and raise your heart rate with cardiovascular exercise at least 20-30 minutes per day.
After this event, I really realized that I completely fall short when it comes to cardiovascular exercise and now I have worked it into my daily routine. I’ll keep you updated and let you all know how this affects my focus and productivity!
The next aspect of self-management is having a specific work schedule and routine. Eben suggests working in 90-minute increments with 30-minute rejuvenation breaks in between. During the 90 minutes of work, it is uninterrupted, laser beam focused productivity. And during the 30-minute breaks, you walk away from the computer and go for a walk, read, or do any other grounding practice.
I think one of the biggest mistakes that online entrepreneurs make is ‘allowing’ interruptions to distract them while they’re working. So during your blocks of uninterrupted work time, turn off your cell phone, don’t check your email, and if you have a family, make sure they know not to interrupt you during these times.
If you still have a full-time job and you’re building an online business for yourself part-time, it’s important for you to set aside specific 90-120 minute work blocks when you can fit it into your schedule. So whether that’s in the morning, on your lunch break, or after dinner when you come home, just make sure you stick to your schedule.
When these practices are put into action and you truly commit to them, the results are staggering. If you want to be an ‘A’ player in our industry, you have to become a master at self-management. It’s really that simple… And it’s the ‘A’ players who are on top of their game and become the absolute best at what they do. So if you’re ready to start creating some real results in your business, let’s make this intention together.
Leave a comment down below with your new intentions for self-management and get it down here in writing! When you declare your intention for growth publicly and actually write it down, the odds of you actually following through are so much greater!
Have a wonderful day today and hopefully next time there’s another Guru-Mastermind Series, we’ll be able to expand our inner circle and get you all there as well!
And if you enjoyed this post today, you can share it with your Twitter followers by using the simple form below:
May 5th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Dear Katie
Yes I agree completely with what you said. So often we look at something else to make us A- List players but we forget to go to these basics.
In order to keep our mind in check so we can function and perform well we need to feel good, be healthy and sleep enough.
I agree with everything you said 100% percent. Eben Pagan teaches what he went through himself and that is why I also respect his advice..It comes from his personal experiences in life.
Thank you again for sharing..
Tatyana
PS. I retweeted this blog post. Keep them coming!
Tatyana
May 5th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Great post Katie. I got turned on to Ebens theory of drinking a big glass of water first thing in the morning and at first I thought that there is no way that something so basic could make such a big impact on my productivity but it really does. Thanks again!
Justin
May 5th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Thank you Katie. First of all for your Inspiration, kindness, and great information. It is heartfelt and wonderful content. I totally agree with Eben Pagan. I am a Mom of 3 year old. And he is my first top priority. Aside from cooking cleaning etc.., all housework that I do. I would like to implement cardiovascular exercise with him. We both love to dance and he loves to run. Also concentrating on 90-120 work block is also great.
Thanks again Katie. Appreciate you!
May 5th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
I totally agree
May 5th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Hey Katie very sage advice. Thanks for sharing this in your typical open-hearted, generous manner! You really come across, especially in your videos, as a remarkable, intelligent, caring, warm and vibrant individual. Your parents must be bursting with pride. You are every parent’s dream daughter – and that’s completely aside from your incredible and very obvious network marketing skills.
Best regards, and I hope we hook up some time.
Eric
May 5th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
It’s so true.Everything that you do outside of the online business han help you grow your success.Things like daily walk,or meditation or anything that will help you recover your energy and be really inspired when you are back in front of the laptop.
Another great post.Thank you,Katie
May 5th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Thanks Katie,
Great reminder; we do often overlook the basics.
So I commit to my 60 mins morning meditation/chi gong practice, followed by 60 mins work on-line, followed by 30 mins jog/walk/stretch, followed by a healthy breakfast.
I already drink plenty of filtered water.
What an inspiring start to the day! : )
Thanks again!
May 5th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
WELL HI KATIE I AM NOT SURPRISED THAT THE FIRST THING 1 SHOULD DO IS TO TAKE CARE OF SELF FIRST.IN THE ORDER YOU STATED.YOU CAN’T HELP OTHERS IF YOU ARE NOT HELPING YOURSELF,GLENNING FROM THE GREATONES WILL MAKE YOU GREAT OR GREATER.John Thank 4 sharing.
May 5th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
Katie,
Thank you for a great post and reminding us of what an “A” player looks like, and what their foundation is made of. So many times we only see the end results, the final product, and forget what the basics were that catapulted that person to the top.
Every major league player, every professional business person shows examples of working on the techniques, and the basics over and over again. I understand more that mastering these basic principles is the right step towards being successful.
Ken Pickard
May 5th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
this is really cool and helpful anything that guys says about network marketing is gold huh?
May 6th, 2009 at 2:08 am
Thanks Katie, great post. It’s amazing how being in the business of helping others can sometimes lead to not looking after and helping out yourself first. You are spot on John!
Much Love Rae
May 6th, 2009 at 2:39 am
Yes of course i do agree……we should also know the benefit of stress…distress or eustress?
May 6th, 2009 at 2:49 am
Hey Katie,
I’ve follow your updates and your website on a regular basis. Your comments
on self management and distractions is right on the money. To be successful we must
lead the way by setting great examples for all to follow. We break it down
to small steps that lead to successful results. Self discovery is the stepping stone
real success. Your write like a professional and your wisdom will truly
motivate. You have found your calling!
May 6th, 2009 at 2:56 am
Hello Katie, I totally agree, I just joined a local gym today because I know if I’m spending money, I wiil go. When you build your body you are also building your mind and you will make better food choices. You will also meet new prospects or build relationships.
Thank you for all you do
Daryl
May 6th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Hi Katie
Yesterday i subscribed to Ebens Homestudycourse as i thought some weeks ago, it´s a pitty i couldn´t met him personally for now. Added this goal on my visionboard;) For me implementing the workblocks was a great productivity step but it took a while to be strict and stay focused.
thx,
Esther
May 7th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Hi Katie
Time management and self-improvement is exactly what I’ve
been working on. I’ve started a excel spread sheet to keep
myself on a schedule. The hardest for me is…family, I
finally posted a large note on the outside of my office door.
They are starting to cath on….(-:
Debby
May 7th, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Thanks everyone for all of your insights! Yes, self management is something that I’m still working on, too… Let’s keep each other updated on our progress!
May 7th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Thanks again Katie for a great post. I will implement the 90 minute work blocks. The water in the morning is so important, I noticed a change in my overall well-being when I started doing this. Speaking about hydration, I understand that our “brain” is the first organ to get dehydrated. Water is the most powerful element, it can change one’s personal “state” as well as an environmental one.
-MaryAnn
May 11th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Scheduling my day was difficult for me in the beginning, but I worked up a daily schedule using Excel and it has transformed my work day! I use a different color for each block of time (work module). The program allows me lots of flexibility because I can just move modules around from one time slot to another. Added benefit: it’s nice to look at all those pretty colors!
May 12th, 2009 at 5:28 am
Your thoughts reminded me of a famous quote by Vince Lombardi
who was talking to his football team. I believe the stor goes that they were not playing very well this particular season and he said….
“Gentleman this is a football” The quote was all about getting back to basics. And it is true with reference to more than football. Whenever you find yourself floundering…get back to basics. If you are not growing…get back to basics. If you don’t know what to do next…get back to basics. IF we take care of the four basic needs in our life, it sets a pattern of success in other areas of our lives.
May 13th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Every word was on point
June 4th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
1.Food
2. Sleep
3. Exercise
4. Water consumption
I agree to make a concerted effort to improve the above list
Especialy get more sleep!
Wayne Parks Sr’s last blog post..HelloHello a very Short Video for a Very Big Opportunity
June 16th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Hey Katie,
I’ve just met you online the past few days and have already received a lot. Thank you. So true about those four points, especially the water. I think the rule of thumb is to daily drink half your body weight in ounces. Add more if you work out or have any health problems. Also make sure you have the best water. Thanks again!
August 18th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Hi Katie,
A great post. As an online entrepreneur as well, I realise I’m falling short on a couple of these things – mainly cardio exercise similar to yourself.
I recently had a workout with a personal trainer and I thought I was fit only to find out that I struggled to run even a couple of kilometres. Definitely time for a change – thank you for the reminder.
Cheers, Niro
Niro Thambipillay´s last blog ..If – by Rudyard Kipling
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:09 am
I have to admit this is an area I am really struggling with. The discipline to structure my life with these things in mind has definitely been lacking, but I have to agree with you by saying that without paying attention to sleep, exercise etc you will burn out pretty quickly, and hamper the quality of your work. Thanks for this one, I’ll try to work on this myself : )
Emmet´s last blog ..Entrepreneurship As A Lifestyle
December 25th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Thanks for your post, found it useful, do you know where else i can find more information about eben’s background and his life at younger age?
December 28th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Hey Sean, you know, I’m not sure where to find Eben’s background info. You may want to try googling him and see what comes up!
I do know he’s a pretty private person, but I’m sure you can dig around and find what you’re looking for!
January 29th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
What an awesome post! True health is irrefutably linked to true wealth. Thank you for sharing what you learned with us Katie! How is your exercising going?
Rose Goddess´s last blog ..“To Thine Own Self Be True” ~ The Power of Journaling