Stress, especially ongoing stress, creates in most of us a craving for relief. This makes perfectly good sense in light of our survival instincts.The human instinct is to fight or flee in the face of danger. Prolonged stress regtisters as danger. We instinctively want to conquer or escape the stressful situation.
The results for those who are not careful and disciplined are the three great temptations:
Eat for relief.
Skip proper exercise.
Become sleep deprived.
Eating for relief usually takes the form of turning to junk food, snacks watered down with soft drinks, and sweets in order to compensate for the suffering. This, in turn, makes folks less hungry at mealtime. Instead of eating three nutritious meals each day, those who eat for relief end up skipping meals here and there. Then when hunger strikes they overeat. Before long they suffer from heartburn and notice that they have gained weight even though they are eating less meals.
Skipping proper exercise is the daily temptation for small business managers because the work is never finished. Managers often go to work early in the morning (there goes the morning run) and stay late (there goes the evening workout). Further, those who have also been loading up on junk food experience profound changes in their sugar levels, leaving them feeling exhuasted and, like worn out horses, just wanting to go home.
Sleep deprivation sets in as a result of irregular eating and lack of exercise. Snacks in the middle of the night, mood swings and muscle aches from too much sitting and not enough working out combine with work worries. Sleep deprivation is a natural consequence of those who succumb to the first two temptation.
Those who rely on willpower to resist the three great temptations will fall victim just as surely as day follows night. If willpower were the answer there would be no one struggling with the problems being described. Put it another way: "Good resolutions don't cut it."
The secret lies in scheduling. When you organize each day's schedule, consider more than simply what time you will begin and end work and what tasks you will address. Schedule into your day the time of each meal (at least fifteen minutes to enjoy your food at each meal) and the time at which you will exercise. Also schedule in the exact time by which you will be in bed, giving yourself a solid eight hours to sleep. That means, of course, there will be only so much time for work, family and personal matters.
To those who cry out that there is not sufficient time in the day for all of these things the answer is always the same: do not schedule your rest, nutrition and healthy well-being out of any day. Do not schedule those who share life with you out of any day. It truly is not a matter of willpower but a matter of time management.
The business manager, especially the small business manager who must be all things to all people, will never have enough time. Time is in short supply. As a manager you already know the importance of using well anything in short supply, planning around the shortages and getting others to "work smart". Apply those same understanding to your own schedule and follow the schedule! It is not a matter of willpower but a matter of organization and the discipline to stick to the schedule. Discipline is not so much willpower but, rather, a combination of planning, good habits and perseverance.
Three great temptations: overcome them and your life as a manger will be good.
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