Every entrepreneur is the CEO of themselves; the CEO of You, Inc., if you will. Your job as the CEO of You, Inc. is to get your Board of Directors to act in concert for your betterment instead of your detriment. Allow me to introduce you to your Board of Directors, you know them as your body, mind and emotions.
When I enlisted in the Marine Corps, back in 1985, I was 50 pounds overweight. I loved eating and I hated running. What do you do in Marine Corps boot camp? Run. The first morning we went outside for physical training, we lined up in formation. The drill instructor gave us the command to face to the right, forward march and then the dreaded command, “DOUBLE-TIME MARCH!” We took off running. Three steps later my body tried to take over the boardroom. “STOP!!” It screamed. “We’re DYING!” It screamed. Was I dying? No. My body was attempting to take over the boardroom.
Dominating your body, i.e., self-discipline in sleep, nutrition, and fitness is the baseline entry point for becoming an effective and mentally tough boss. Without this, you haven’t even entered the arena. When we think of mental toughness, most of us think of athletes, spec-ops soldiers, and first responders. They have each, at least nominally, dominated their bodies even to enter their respective fields. Once you consistently dominate your body, you have made the first cut in becoming effective and mentally tough.
[contentcards url=”https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/304080″ target=”_blank”]