Hi Friend,

I really hate this statement:

So In the first part of this post, I’m going to cover 5 mistakes Entrepreneurs make when trying to improve their work-life balance along with 5 “Battle-tested” strategies to help you avoid them so that you can achieve a sense of balance faster.

Most are quick, easy, and painless to implement. a few takes a little more effort. But they all..

These are “go-to” strategies for many of the world’s highest performers!

Then, in the second part of this post (Titled: “How to look sexy like Deano”) I’m going to reveal a couple of strategies to help increase your strength and overall energy by 150%…including…one of my secret energy management routines. It’s a routine I’ve never shared but you would enjoy it.

I know as an entrepreneur, balancing the demands of your business with personal time can feel like walking a tightrope. Despite best intentions, you fall into the common traps that hinder your ability to achieve a harmonious balance.

So if you’re ready, I’d like to continue to fulfill my “obligation” with this post..starting with…

Mistake 1: Neglecting Personal Health

Almost every successful entrepreneur (in their right mind) I’ve studied or been exposed to prioritizes their health over their business. And I’m starting with this piece of advice because I think it’s one of those “first things first” things.

Is it mandatory? only if you want to enjoy the success when you have it (Most often due to poor health success will forever elude most of us).

Amature Entrepreneurs often prioritize their business over their health, leading to burnout which no amount of money in the world can cure.

Whether you join an online program, go to the gym, hire a personal trainer….even commit to a 30-minute walk. Incorporate regular exercise and healthy eating habits into your daily routine.

And I think, if you’re going to make this happen, you need to optimize your physical space to make this into a habit.

When I just came to China I didn’t take the idea of “风水 Feng Shui” seriously. According to the mighty Goodge 风水 is a traditional practice that originated in Ancient China and claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment.

But you know what, after being burnt out myself I now realize how helpful it is to optimize our environment to support healthy habit building.

Don’t just take it from me try it out for yourself and feel the shift. but however you arrange your physical space, just make sure you do it in a way that inspires you…that lifts your energy..that allows you to be at your best state.

As a side note: I personally have incents, and oils around the house and listen to some of my favorite motivations to get into my own version of beast mode. If you are looking through my window in the morning you might say;

but that’s what gets me in the zone and I’ll keep on doing it.

Mistake 2: Poor Time Management

Lack of efficient time management can lead to overwhelming workloads and missed personal time. what’s funny is most of you think time management is about what you do with your time but the truth is it’s about how well you manage your energy.

When do you get your best work done? Morning, afternoon, or night? For me, it’s in the morning anytime between 4:30 am and 7 am. It’s dark out, quiet, most of the world’s asleep and I’m focused.

Here’s why this is an energy issue:

Poor time management is a by-product of an idle mind and an idle mind is an energy leech. It takes energy for your brain to effectively regulate time. You know how when you are having fun time flies by fast and when you are bored it moves like a snail.

Exactly, we manipulate the flow of time by the way we are feeling at any given moment hence it serves you well to get your most time-intensive work done when your energy is at its peak (for me that is in the morning)

Here’s the trick, I start my energy routine well in advance. I begin preparing the night before bed.

Here’s what I do: After reflecting on my day, I have a little routine I follow. it goes like this: Before going to bed, I Think about what I want to complete the following day….Things like: Writing this newsletter, Coaching sessions with clients, working out, calling my mom, and so on. Then, I ask what’s the one thing I must complete to move my mission forward now. Circle it close my computer then go to sleep. This process usually takes me 15-30 minutes.
 

The following day I spend my first 90-minute block on my key task then strategic time block the others in my calendar right after for a double win on my day. (Pro-tip: I go as far as blocking my commute time which I know I will use to listen to a podcast or audiobook)

Mistake 3: Inability to Delegate

Trying to handle everything on your own causes stress and inefficiency. This is something I’m personally recovering from and I’m still working on it.

The truth is as entrepreneurs we highly value freedom. That’s one of the reasons we ventured out in the first place but things can get really overwhelming really fast if we are doing everything by ourselves….and…all the Entrepreneurs we admire delegate and they delegate a lot. Does that mean you do nothing? Absolutely not.

Delegate tasks to team members or hire freelancers to lighten your load so that you can focus on your zone of genius. With a lighter load not only would you be able to create better quality work you would be at home when you are home and at work when you are at work.

An amazing book to read to help with this is “Who Not How” by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjiman Hardy.

Give it a read and let me know your biggest insights. I’ll appreciate that.

Mistake 4: Not setting Boundaries

Failing to set boundaries between work and personal life leads to constant work intrusion.

This piece of advice comes from a coach I truly admire, Rich Litvin.

it’s something that virtually eliminates bringing work home. Here’s what he suggests: Set an alarm for a hard stop for your work at the end of the day and stick to it (trust me on this one)…then when the alarm goes off, take a deep breath and stop working.

A couple of things are going to happen:

First, you are going to respect your time more because of this hard stop which means you will unconsciously start saying no to distracting work/meetings and yes to what’s urgent and important. This is great because it takes the pressure off of saying yes to everything because of FOMO.

And, What usually happens is, you’ll start respecting your own time and others will too…and before you know it, you’ll create a level of balance that’s only possible from a truly high-performer.

When you set clear working hours and stick to them, making time for family and personal activities becomes second nature and you enjoy the journey more.

Mistake 5: Lacking of Social Support

Let me know if this feels familiar

Isolation can make the entrepreneurial journey more stressful and challenging. While you may be surrounded by family and friends as an entrepreneur you think differently and most often the people close to you may not even get this entrepreneurial thing you do.

Build a network of fellow entrepreneurs, mentors, and friends for support and advice.

If you are having trouble finding your tribe, it’s probably because you’re putting too much thought into it…or…you have serious trust issues.

Think about 10 people who you know and admire and who will be great supporters on your journey and send them this message.

A few would say yes and a few would say no. Awesome! because all you need is 5 people to create a quorum. I’ll suggest no more than 10 people so this way the group isn’t diluted and everyone can feel like they are valued from the exchange.

Now on to part 2 of this post..

“How to look sexy like Deano”

How do you like the headline above? But can it possibly be true? Can What I’m about to share enable you to look sexy like me? Haha.

Actually I can’t say for sure. However, I do know it can certainly help you become your version of sexy.

How do I know that?

Because it’s one of the things that help me to become as sexy as I am, duh. You could say, it’s my “ace-in-the-hole” or “secret weapon” when it comes to being in the best shape of my life. And it’s this…

High-intensity interval training (HIIT)

You know, when you ask most fitness experts what type of training you should do to get in your best shape, the typical reply is something like Cardio, strength training, Plyometric, functional training, etc. And they’re right.

In fact, in my upcoming program (14 Days to a Stronger You! Challenge) I’ll include all these different styles of training because to be in your best shape you don’t just need one type of training you need all of them in the right intensity and interval.

Hence why I’ve credited the HIIT style of training for my amazing physique and energy level. and if you didn’t know what HIIT is. It’s a workout technique that involves short bursts of intensive exercise alternated with low-intensity recovery periods. Despite being a relatively quick workout, HIIT packs a powerful punch.

1. It boosts cardiovascular health (heart Health)

2. Build full-body relative strength.

3. Increase metabolism (convert food into energy faster)

4. Burn more calories in less time compared to steady-state cardio.

Plus, the “afterburn effect” means you’ll continue burning calories even after your workout is done. Why I am able to eat what I want without a strict boring diet and still be in good shape.

Whether you’re looking to lose weight, build strength, or increase your overall energy and well-being, HIIT is the most effective way to achieve your goal especially if you are pressed for time.

for the last 3 weeks I’ve been using my beautiful partner to prove to you this stuff works and here’s a message she shared with me yesterday.

    She’s on 3x week protocol (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) each session about 30-45 minutes (Less than 2 hours per week) and she also said;

Don’t just take our word for it, take 5 minutes and complete the survey below.

👉 https://forms.office.com/r/8dpMx0qAEG

I will truly value your feedback and you will also qualify for a free pass to our upcoming launch event (online).

I’m going to wrap up this post here. I hope you have enjoyed it..and. I hope you use the strategies here to improve your work and life balance.

One last thing: If you don’t already make time for a fitness routine now would be a good time to start one.

Why?

For one, the people you love and care about need you at your best and your business would never outgrow your body’s ability to keep up.

And secondly, please share this with someone who you know will value from this. it’s my way of asking you to pay it forward.

Next Week, we’ll explore more lifestyle tips and tricks to keep you at your best.

Until then, sleep well, and live well!

Let’s get it let’s goh🚀

❤️Deano Delpleash

My best-performing post this week.