Systems & Processes

If you’re always wondering how to get better sleep, you’re not alone. Sleep is crucial for performance. Do you struggle to get enough sleep due to your hectic schedule as an entrepreneur, but lack of sleep affects your productivity? For most business owners, a good night’s sleep is something they can only hope for.

I know entrepreneurs have a very busy schedule. If you are an entrepreneur, I am sure you make various sacrifices for the sake of your business, on a daily basis.

Especially when you’re just starting out in your business, you want to take on everything, right? You might not even ignore personal relationships with friends and family. And you might be sacrificing your sleep to build your business.

I know the strong desire to succeed and the confidence to take on challenges is a rush like no other. Many entrepreneurs might even think that skipping sleep is an unspoken requirement for success. Some may think that it’s all part of their entrepreneurial journey which will lead to eventual heroic success.

But that is far from the truth. Lack of proper rest and sleep can have some serious consequences. It has a direct correlation with your health and mental well being.

If you keep losing sleep, eventually, there will come a point where you will feel the drastic effects. It is well-known that exhaustion can lead to a significant dip in your performance.

These dips in performances and deprivation of rest could lead to burnout and serious mental health and physical health concerns. And what will happen when your health is adversely affected? Well, your business will suffer, and so will your relationships.

The business you sacrificed everything for – even your sleep – will start to fail. Lack of sleep is counterproductive in the long run. Hence, sleep deprivation is foiling your chances of becoming successful even if you may not realize it yet.

The Temptation of Sacrificing Sleep

You may have heard that several famous figures in history favored sleeping less. Instead of wanting to get better sleep, they wanted more time to work on things that mattered to them. They favored time over sleep.

Famous inventor Nikola Tesla survived on only 1.5 – 2 hours of sleep per night. Benjamin Franklin slept only 5 hours per night.

Even in recent times, you will find several successful people who have reported that they sleep very little. Here’s a list of 19 barely-sleeping, successful people.

Jack Dorsey reported sleeping only 4- 6 hours when he started Twitter. Donald Trump credits his success to sleeping only three to four hours each night.

Marissa Mayer, when working for Google, slept 4 hours a night so that she can work 130-hours a week. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook wakes up at 3:45 a.m. to get a head start on the 700-800 emails he receives a day.

In 2011, a new elite group known as The Sleepless Elite was identified by The WSJ. These are the 1% to 3% of the population who live happily on just a few hours of sleep per night.

These are people born with the Thatcher Gene, a genetic mutation, where the person requires less sleep to function normally. While the rest of us require 7-8 hours of sleep, they can work with a lot less.

It’s unknown if any of the famous figures have this gene or not. If you go by the statistics alone, it’s highly likely you don’t have it. Psychiatrists believe that out of 100 people who claim they need only 5-6 hours of sleep, only 5 are right.

So, it might seem tempting to replicate these successful people’s habits to replicate their success. But that couldn’t be farther from the truth, as we will see in the next section.

The Effects of Low-Quality Sleep

Research shows that insufficient sleep leads to a slowing of response speed, and increased variability in performance. It particularly affects alertness, attention and vigilance levels.

Other short-term problems can include:

• Reduced ability to think, remember and process information.
• Increased likelihood of getting into conflicts with others.
• Reduced participation in usual daily activities such as exercise.

It even increases the chances of car accidents. The U. S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that drowsy driving is related to at least 100,000 motor-vehicle crashes and more than 1,500 deaths per year. 

Furthermore, Harvard Medical School’s study shows a lack of quality sleep has a serious negative impact on your:

• Concentration
• Memory
• Mathematical capacity
• Logical reasoning
• Perception
• Judgment

If you continue to operate without enough sleep, you may see more long-term and serious health problems, such as:

• Obesity
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Mental distress

You may think that you can sleep more once you are comfortable in your success, right? What if you never get to that point? You see, if you wish to avoid these long-term problems you need to prioritize sleep in your life.

Remember that getting a good night’s rest is not a luxury, but an absolute necessity for each one of us. At the very least, getting better sleep will help you boost your productivity. In the long run, it might save you from the risk of deadly diseases.

How to Get Better Sleep Quality as an Entrepreneur

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 35% of American professionals aren’t getting the recommended 7 hours of sleep. While this sleep recommendation may vary from person to person, it is a step in the right direction.

Good sleep will set you up for success from the moment you open your eyes. A well-rested mind and body are better equipped to tackle each day.

Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn. – Mahatma Gandhi

It can be hard to put your rest at a high priority, especially with all the work. But, it will be worth it in the long run. In fact, your body, mind and your business will thank you for it. Here are 7 helpful tips that can help you get better sleep quality.

1. Avoid Drinking Too Much Coffee

According to Zagat’s National Coffee Survey results, Americans drink an average of 2.1 cups of coffee per day. What’s worse is that consumption is shown to increase with age.

As an entrepreneur, it is tempting to go for multiple cups of coffee to stay awake and alert. In fact, for many of you, coffee might be an indispensable part of your daily routine.

You might rely on it for the much-needed boost of energy in the morning. Sometimes, even after the mid-afternoon dip in energy. For some entrepreneurs, it might even be a preferred productivity tool.

But it should come as no surprise that too much coffee could be responsible for keeping you up at night. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine’s study, found that consuming caffeine six hours before bed still impacted sleep.

You see, when caffeine doesn’t metabolize properly, it can keep you awake long after it’s been consumed. Hence, you should avoid consuming caffeine at least seven hours before bed, to prevent negative effects on your sleep.

As a best practice, keep it to 1-2 cups a day and give yourself that caffeine-free window of 7 hours. Slowly but surely, you will start to get better sleep quality.

2. Avoid Sugary Foods (Especially Before Bed)

Nighttime hunger pangs are quite common. It’s quite natural to go for something sweet such as a candy bar as it’s comforting. But if you’re eating high sugar foods before bed, you’re setting yourself up for a sugar rush.

It will take longer for you to get to sleep as you will toss and turn longer than you should be. In fact, the more sugar that you eat during the day, the more often you’re going to wake up while sleeping.

The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to. – F. Scott Fitzgerald

Essentially, the sugar in your system can even pull you out of deep sleep. What’s worse is that this will make you feel exhausted the next day.

You see, if you want to get better sleep, your blood sugar level needs to be steady throughout the day. This will also keep your energy level even, during the day, helping you stick to a normal sleep schedule.

So avoid foods that contain simple carbs and refined sugar. Instead, eat foods rich in good fats and protein such as crushed almonds in a warm glass of milk. You could even go for some hard-boiled eggs.

3. Avoid Sleep Inducing Substances

I know some entrepreneurs prefer taking pills to sleep. Some choose alcohol or other such sleep-inducing substances. I strongly advise against the consumption of such substances that greatly disrupt your brain’s natural sleep process.

You see, anything that interferes with the brain’s natural sleep process has dire consequences for the quality of your sleep. For long-term benefits, you have to practice falling asleep naturally and reduce your dependence upon sedatives.

The best way to stop is to gradually reduce the dose with the guidance of a doctor. Professional medical care will reduce your dependence, step-by-step and help with any withdrawal symptoms, as well. You could also opt for psychological or therapeutic support for optimal benefits to get better sleep.

4. Keep Your Devices Away

You might find it tempting to check your emails before sleeping, but that’s where you catch the dreaded blue light. Blue light is emitted from each device we use on a daily basis.

Harvard’s study recommends avoiding looking at bright screens beginning two to three hours before bed. If that seems too hard to implement, strive to give yourself at least an hour’s time of no device usage. This will give your body enough time to adjust and get ready for a night of sleep.

The study even suggests exposing yourself to lots of bright light during the day. This can also enable you to get better sleep at night.

Furthermore, reading emails right before bed can have two major implications. If you hear some good news, you’ll start processing ideas to implement the next day. If you get some bad news, you’ll start stressing out about it. Either way, you are going to lose sleep.

So, keep your device on silent mode or just turn it off. Instead, the best use of this hour is to give yourself time to unwind and decompress.

5. Decompress Before Bed

A high level of stress interferes with your ability to sleep. As an entrepreneur, your life has plenty of stress to go around. If you don’t deal with that stress properly via relaxation and mental processing, it’ll prevent you from getting sleep.

After a hard day’s work and before you go to bed, here’s your chance to unwind a little. Why would you want that? Well, transitioning directly from business to bed doesn’t work if you want to get better sleep. Both are two very different zones and your subconscious mind needs time and space to switch between the two.

Since you’ve put your device away, you could read a book. In fact, reading a book is one of the most powerful habits of self-made millionaires.

Alternatively, you could listen to some music, spend some time with your family or just use this time to reflect on your day. Whatever you choose to do, the main goal is spending time on your own, in a relaxed state.

Furthermore, you should start dimming the lights during this time, too. This routine will take some practice, but once you do it regularly, it will help you get better sleep.

6. Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment

Your sleep time is precious and the quality of your sleep will determine your output for the next day. So, you need to create a quiet and peaceful environment that can instantly help you get better sleep.

I have seen entrepreneurs sleeping on sofas or even their work desks. That may work for some people, but I would suggest investing in a comfortable mattress and pillow. With the plethora of sleep-friendly options in the market today, it shouldn’t be too hard to find the right one.

Furthermore, shut off all noises by wearing earplugs when sleeping. If you have the habit of listening to something while sleeping, listen to white noise or nature sounds.

Also, it’s best to have dark curtains (such as black-out curtains) installed in your bedroom to ensure you sleep in complete darkness. Alternatively, you can also consider sleeping with a nice, comfortable eye mask.

Why do you need complete darkness? You see, our brains are hard-wired into associating darkness with sleep. The brain produces more melatonin (the hormone controlling our sleep cycles) when it senses an absence of light.

Furthermore, you could use natural essential oils that can help you get into a more relaxed state. These oils can be applied to your skin topically or dispersed in the air with the help of a diffuser.

7. Be Prepared for Sleep Epiphanies

Does your brain come alive at night? I know mine does. In general, I know as an entrepreneur, you have multiple thoughts and ideas running at the same time. It could be about what you should be doing to make your business better, right? Hence, it is natural to have bedtime epiphanies.

Your subconscious mind will keep thinking and adding tasks to your mental to-do list. What’s more, these might be some of the best ideas you’ve ever had, coming to you at bedtime.

What tends to happen is that you feel afraid you will forget these ideas and hence keep thinking about them. A simple solution is to keep a notebook beside your bed.

When you can’t sleep because of a good idea, just write it down. Make sure everything noteworthy is in the notebook. This trick will reduce anxiety and help you get better sleep.

Adopt the Right Habits to Boost Productivity

It’s quite clear that sleep deprivation has you performing at a fraction of your full potential. Hence, I always advise preparing for a marathon rather than a sprint. Both have their time and place in an entrepreneur’s life but always focus on long-term victories over short-term gains.

I know that as an entrepreneur, you want to get as much work done in a day, as possible. But sacrificing sleep for the sake of getting more work done is not sustainable. Instead, if you get better sleep, you will become more productive and accomplish more in less time.

In the beginning, you may think that reducing 2 hours of sleep gives you 2 additional hours to work. But eventually. the negative effects on your performance will cancel out any productivity gains you might incidentally see.

You don’t have to sacrifice a proper night’s sleep to build your business. Instead, improve your day’s processes to increase your productivity.

You’ll succeed when you have your time, resources, and mind working together for a better output.

If you want to improve your productivity, I’ve put together a training for you. This video training teaches 3 powerful ways to operate like a millionaire. These productivity habits give you more control over your daily routine. 

Once you are in more control of your day, you will get more done in less time. This will give your more room to take breaks and get to sleep earlier. As a result, you will benefit your health and your business, in the long-run.

Moreover, more control over your day means that you will be able to spend more time with your family too. Grab this Millionaire Productivity Secrets Video Training to start seizing your day without sacrificing your sleep and health.

Do you feel like you’re working too much, and you feel burnt out or stuck in a rut? According to Gallup’s 2017 study, approximately two-thirds of U.S. employees feel disengaged at their workplace. If only 33% of employees feel engaged at work, that’s unfortunate. Something has to be done about this problem. So, are you working too much and feeling stuck?

When an employee leaves the company they work for, they’re often leaving their awful managers or their horrible bosses– not the job itself. So, when managers make a lot of unnecessary rules, the company might need to rethink some things. Unnecessarily strict rules drive employees crazy. But what does this have to do with working too much and feeling stuck at work?

As a business owner, nothing is more frustrating than feeling stuck. You know you have to grow your business, but you don’t know where to fix things, and that’s frustrating. If you’re an employee, you might leave the company and search to work with a different manager.

While some choose to stay and remain stuck, due to fear of change or fear of failure, those people are making the wrong choice. Furthermore, dissatisfied employees can affect the company in a negative way. Because of their lack of motivation, they don’t perform well. 

Having the negativity of these employees spreading around the workplace creates a toxic work environment for everyone. It will affect the entire department and disrupt the company’s bottom line. With that said, as a business owner, you need to understand the reasons for your employee’s dissatisfaction. When you understand the reasons, you can come up with a solution that does not only create a healthy work culture, but also leads to growth in your revenue.

Key Reasons For Feeling Stuck

You’re working too much expecting a positive growth, yet you feel stuck. That’s common among entrepreneurs. You might feel overwhelmed with your current business model, or extremely busy and stressed. You’re ready to progress to the next level of your business but you’re uncertain of what step you need to take.

For example, perhaps you place a high expectation on your predicted monthly revenue due to false promises from your prospects who claim to be interested in a purchase. You keep getting false hope from your prospects when they say things like, “I really want to buy it, I’ll call you back shortly.” But they never do call back, or they say, “Hmmm, this is interesting, can you send me more information?” But you’ll never hear from them even after sending more information or following up several times.

Does this frustrate you? I understand how you feel.

You’ve worked way too hard to just throw everything down the drain just because you feel stuck in your business. You’ve put too much effort into something that you think it will bring you somewhere. Especially for those that are waiting for career advancement. expecting to be promoted, or have started their own business with high hopes of self-made success.

If you’ve received false hope from your prospects, those are called sales objections, and they can be handled with proper training. 

But before I go any further, I want you to watch this video about “When you’re stuck in life”

Is Your Awareness Low?

There’s a quote from Albert Einstein that goes like this: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” This means, your awareness right now may be low, and you’re trying to solve problems only using what you know. And you keep trying to get unstuck with only what you know, and that’s why it doesn’t work.  

As I said in the above video, there are a few different types of people who are most likely to experience this problem:

• • People who are dumb
  • People who don’t know they are dumb
  • Some know they’re dumb

• And, people who are dumb but think they’re smart

The last type of person I listed, the person who is dumb but thinks he or she is smart, is the most dangerous of them all. By having awareness, it’ll help you solve your problems. How? If you gain more knowledge, you’ll gain a new perspective, and you’ll have multiple choices and insightful information. When you step outside the box, you’ll see a bigger picture.

With more knowledge and training, not only will you be able to solve your problems, but you might also break free from your current unsatisfactory circumstances.

So, think about this if you feel overwhelmed with work. Are you working too much as an employee or a freelancer? Let’s say you’re an employee: How long have you been feeling this way? Do you sit around and mope when you get home from work? Are you experiencing that awful stuck-in-a-rut feeling, or a feeling of emptiness? How has this impacted you and your family? 

You’re probably thinking about all the possible ways to change your current circumstances. And what exactly are you doing about it? What’s the difference between saying you will do it but not taking any action? End of the day, you’re still not taking any action to solve your problems.

So, if you’re already good at what you’re doing, acquiring more knowledge and training might be exactly what you need to get unstuck. 

Now, let’s see what the reasons are behind you feeling stuck inside.

Working Too Much and Being Underpaid 

One of the biggest reasons someone feels that they’re working too much is being underpaid for the work they’re doing. If you’re an employee, are you being underpaid right now? I’m not going to ask you if you feel stuck inside. And if you’re reading this article now, I know you’re looking for a way out. So, stay with me.

Now, while being underpaid. It’s obvious you have to stretch your wallet further to cope with the cost of living. Can you imagine the number of things you have to pay by the end of the month? Health insurance, mortgage, food, utilities and it’s all constantly rising. And some of you might also get a side hustle just to have an additional Income.

Don’t you feel that the value you provide is worth much more money? Are you being paid fairly? Many employees are underpaid, which is why so many employees feel they’ve been overworked and undervalued. 

But then again, these four words: “I’m working too much” are very broad. It depends on what exactly you’re doing, what your goals are, what you want to achieve and for who you’re working too much for. So, if you’re a freelancer. With the value, you provide to the marketplace. Working too much is not an issue if you’re aware of your awareness.

Also, acquiring a certain set of skills could help you solve your problems faster. However, for a business owner, they may feel underpaid if they don’t understand their prospects. Why? Because they may be selling their product to the wrong people. Knowing your audience is crucial if you want to grow your business. 

Do you prefer selling a product of $5,000 to 1 prospect or $500 to 10 prospects? So, if you believe in your product. And it’s offering value to the marketplace. Don’t be afraid to ask for big money. Does that make sense?

So, being aware of your awareness and who you’re working with too much for, determines how you feel. 

However, if you’re an employee and feeling stuck, you probably feel that you are working too much, and you probably don’t enjoy your work, either.

No Career Advancement 

Imagine that you’re expecting a promotion. If that is the case, perhaps you’re working too much for a reason. It’s probably to show your boss that you have the capabilities for that position. But I want you to think about this.

Are you earning the additional income so you can spend more time with your family? If you are, how long have you been waiting for that moment? Will it ever come? 

You see, a lack of career advancement is one of the reasons for employee dissatisfaction. An employee who feels stuck in their job position usually feels less motivation. When an employer includes them in their long-term plan, they’ll feel appreciated. But when you’ve been waiting for too long, not being valued and underpaid, you’ll eventually move on. 

According to Forbes, there’s a global study that revealed, 79% of people who quit their jobs cite a lack of appreciation. That’s why it’s important to develop education and knowledge. That means, to acquire a profound skill that could possibly help you ear 6-7+ figures of income. May it be a skill you can use remotely to earn over $10,000 per month.

Take Control of Your Life 

Let’s imagine you’ve acquired a certain set of high-income skills and now you’re in control of your life, your time and your business. How will that impact you? And if you have a family, you could finally spend more time with them or go on a family vacation. Because you have been working too much, you never had the chance to have decent family time. But now you can. How will that make you feel?

I’ve mentored over 4,900+ students from all over the world. Business owners, corporate professionals, influencers, other coaches, consultants, and freelancers. They’ve discovered the secret method I used from getting out of a 9 to 5 job to scaling my coaching business. I went from zero to $1,000,000 a month in less than 8 months. 

So, what am I talking about? Well, I’ll get into that shortly.

Lack of Interest

First of all, you should always be prepared for the future and not wait for a crisis. Even if you lack interest in what you’re doing, smart professionals keep a foot in both worlds. So, what do I mean by that? It means you can be an employee and an entrepreneur at the same time. Having said that, you should find something that you’re interested in.

Now, let’s get into some steps to help you get back on track. You’ll have better vision, clarity and a step-by-step solution to move forward. 

Identify Where Your Roadblocks Are

Working too much can lead to emotional negativity and that can lead you to feel stuck inside. While your mind can be cluttered and unclear, it’s important to identify your ‘why’ and begin a plan. This means you need to strategize, and move forward making these decisions quickly. 

• Evaluate your market or audience, with specificity and clarity on your niche.
• Are you spending enough on your marketing initiatives to reach your ideal target prospects?
• Public speaking, social media, and networking are important for branding.
• Engage a mentor to help you instead of being a lone wolf. Self-Improvement requires investment in yourself.

Dealing With Your Lower-Self

Many people are likely to get stuck in their momentary lapse of judgment. Especially when they’re at the moment before the miracle. Why? Because, before the moment of going into the next stage of your business, oftentimes it creates self-doubts. So, recognizing and dealing with your lower-self is important to keep your ego away. 

Having the right mindset gives you freedom. Because once you’ve recognized your awareness with the right mindset. You’ll have brilliant thoughts and make empowered choices. 

The thing with moving forward is, it’ll make you feel uncomfortable. Because you have to leave your comfort zone, and that makes a huge change in your personal and business life. So, don’t let your lower-self take control over your achievements.

Instead of waiting for the right time and making thousands of excuses. Constantly and consciously think about your high-self. For example, subconsciously train your mind by telling yourself “I want to be rich!”. “I can do this!”,“ I’m going to win and will not give up!”

Make Decisions That Keep Values and Visions Aligned  

Before you make any decision, ask yourself if the decision you’re making is aligned with your values, your goals, and your big-picture vision. Will your decision move you closer to your goals and closer to success?

Practice quick-action thinking. It is a very good practice in your day-to-day life. Let’s take this article as an example. As you scroll through, you might have done some thinking before you made the decision to read it. 

Perhaps you’re working too hard and looking for a way out by talking to a mentor. Or maybe you’re just surfing the internet to acquire more knowledge to figure out your way out. All you know is, you’re feeling stuck and you need help.

I’ve developed a guide on how you can use our system and strategies to grow your business. Especially if you’re in the coaching business as well. It is an interactive guide and it’s called the High-Ticket Influencer Program. 

In this interactive guide, I’ll show you how our strategies can be used for scaling your coaching business. But before I get into it, let me share some questions you might need to ask yourself. By asking yourself these questions, it can help you move forward and get unstuck:  

• • I am stuck because . . . ?
  •  I want to achieve my goal by (write a specific date)
  • To move forward, i need to have a millionaire mindset.
  • Am I working too much? So, what am I going to do about it?
  • I want to make “X” Dollars as my daily income goal (D.I.G)

What you do for you is not as important as how you do it. As a high achiever, being good at what you do is another way to ensure career satisfaction. This means you want to become so good at your skill, you’ve positioned yourself as an expert.

Take Control of Your Time and Get Unstuck

Despite getting stuck and working too much, the main thing to avoid is feeling trapped. By having the right mindset and taking concrete positive steps in the right direction, you can start diminishing negative vibes in your workplace.

One of my mentors once told me this: “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.” 

Now, why am I sharing this with you? Because the people you choose as friends will have a significant impact on your mindset and behavior. 

As I said in the beginning, smart people make a change for better opportunities. But if you choose to stay and remain stuck, it’s also your decision. I know it’s not easy to leave your comfort zone. Achieving a significant shift in mindset might be the solution for you. So, think about how this change will impact you and your family’s life. 

As promised, let me tell you what you’ll discover inside this insightful High-Ticket Influencer Program. In the program, you’ll discover how to:

• • • Maximize your “Personal Media Platform” (P.M.P.)  and NEVER have to chase clients or get on the phone with unqualified prospects again.
    •  Create irresistible offers that will allow you to have the highest impact on every client.
    • Get yourself out of the small “day-to-day” minutiae and finally get your business to work for you. 

You see, there are many small actions you can take to achieve quick results that could change your life. And these small changes also prove to yourself that, with the decisions you make, you can be successful. You need to shift your mindset. So, if you think you’re working too much and it’s time to take charge of your time, discover how you can take control of your time. 

If you want to discover the systems and strategies to grow your business, especially if you have a coaching business or a business that relies on social media, simply register yourself for my program. Request your personal copy of my closely-guarded secrets. You’ll discover the methods I used to scale my coaching business from zero to $1 million per month in less than 8 months.

However, if you prefer leveraging the advice on my free YouTube videos, you can click on the link below to subscribe to my YouTube channel. My team and I produce daily educational videos for free, and you can leverage my knowledge to your own advantage.

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