As I lowered my head to take a nap on the steering wheel I knew something was wrong.
Luckily, my car was already parked.
You see, I had just completed a long day of work at my newly acquired bricks and mortar store where I was (somewhat ironically) teaching others how to improve their health and fitness.
After work, I had consumed a big dose of caffeine and driven myself 10 minutes down the road to the gym.
So why was I now napping?
It may have been that I was working 7 days per week, standing on my feet, exposed to the artificial light of a small store within a shopping mall and was quickly forgetting what the outside world looked like.
It may have been that I was starting to sleep less in order to get more “hours” out of my day to work in, don’t ask me if those hours were actually productive, however.
Or it may have been that my caffeine intake had slowly but surely crept up each week since taking over the store with my brother several weeks earlier.
Or perhaps it was a combination of all 3.
Either way, my body was now demanding that I treat it with more respect.
So, somewhat reluctantly at first, I re-focused on what I knew to be the most important factors for optimal health and productivity:
– 8 hours of sleep per night.
– Excellent nutrition to fuel my body & mind.
– Regular exercise.
I have since gone on to develop a nutritional supplement to help speed up the process and am always conducting experiments on myself to increase mental performance but there is one rule which seems to never change:
Good sleep, nutrition and regular exercise are the most important things you can do for your health, your ability to work hard, keep fatigue at bay and stay focused.
Now, with the immense resources at their disposal, most high-level successful entrepreneurs can do things that most of us mere mortals can not.
Yet, rather than some kind of expensive magic bullet that the rest of us cannot afford, what do most of these people seek out as their ultimate weapon?
A good night’s sleep.
Both Arianna Huffington and Jeff Bezos talk on this very blog about how 8 hours of sleep per night is the key to them having a successful day and making effective decisions.
In an increasingly busy and stressed out world, this may seem like an act of rebellion.
But you owe it to yourself and those you care about to get a proper night’s rest.
Lately, it has become increasingly common to sleep less and “work” more.
The word “hustle” is being thrown around in conversations and promoted with hashtags.
Yet the biggest and most consistent achievers are standing by their 8 hours of sleep.
Try not to give in to the excitement and short-lived increase in “working hours” that comes with less sleep and constantly checking email.
It may end up costing you a lot more than you gain.
Instead, become a rebel and get a proper night’s sleep.
All the best to your health, happiness and productivity,
Christian Baker