By John Purl
Director, Affinitas Capital
https://au.linkedin.com/in/john-purl-68b6a464
Is there a key or a formula to becoming financially successful? Is there a ‘life hack’ that we can all apply to our lives that will circumnavigate hard work? In a nutshell no! I have been working in wealth advisory now for more than twelve years and over that time I have worked with individuals, families and business’ from varied backgrounds with varied goals and objectives. When I talk with many of my clients or other business owners I often ask what it is they do to ensure they are operating as effectively and efficiently as possible, to be able to work smart and work hard. The most common response; Movement, Food & Mindset! Over the last decade there has been a huge movement towards health/wellness and fitness as people begin to realise the correlation between being able to work, perform and function at a higher level if they make time to look after their bodies.
In a survey completed by the Australian Psychological Society in 2015 the following was released.
The top five causes of stress in Australia over the last five years are:
· personal finances - 49 per cent of those surveyed;
· family issues - 45 per cent of those surveyed;
· personal health - 44 per cent of those surveyed;
· trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle - 40 per cent of those surveyed; and
· issues with the health of others close to us - 38 per cent of those surveyed
These alarming numbers clearly illustrate that people want to better their health and their financial position but few know where to start. My objective is for people to learn how to make a few changes to their daily habits/routines and to see the positive effect this has on energy levels, mental state and in turn can result in better career performance.
I recently spoke with Dr Laurence Tham about this subject, but first, who is Dr Laurence Tham:
Dr Laurence Tham is an international Wellness Expert and Speaker. His passion and focus is on the psychology of human behaviour and motivation when it comes to health and wellness. He believes in the “lead by example” approach as the solution to creating greater health and wellness for our kids and our future generation.
He is the co-founder of ‘The Wellness Guys’, a weekly podcast show dedicated to bringing “wellness” into people’s lives. He is also the co-founder of ‘The Wellness Couch’, creators of a string of Top 10 health podcasts including “Up for a Chat”, “That Paleo Show” and “Inside the Champion’s Mind” of which Dr Laurence is also the host of this #1 Self-Help podcast on iTunes.
Dr Laurence is the founder of “Drive Your Practice”, a coaching program focused on getting chiropractors out of ‘survival’ into ‘sustainability’ and success. His programs - Ignition, Turbo and Nitro are designed to build certainty, communication and credibility.
He has created several successful Wellness programs to help people shift from ‘sickness’ into ‘health’ using the latest technology and strategies. “The Wellness Blueprint” and “The 30 Days to Wellness” are programs that help people create a compelling future not only for themselves but for the entire family.
Dr Laurence practices as a Wellness Chiropractor and Coach in Perth Australia and is married to his wife Karen and has two beautiful children Kaia and Christian.
Dr Laurence Tham’s advice:
Movement:
Let’s face it - your body is designed to MOVE. Ever been home after a long day when you are tired and exhausted. You are finished. Completely spent. At this point you have two choices. 1. Slump down to the closest couch and watch Netflix for the next 2 -3 hours and hope that someone will bring you some food while you unwind. Or 2. You suck it up, look outside, and you see that the weather is sensational. You decide to go out for a stroll with your partner (and family). You are tired and exhausted, but you choose to do it anyways. Just 15 mins, nothing hard, but just to get some fresh air. What happens?
If you took option 1: You probably end up being MORE tired and end up falling asleep on the couch while waking up with a sore neck. You expended no energy, yet you have become more tired. Why is that?
If you took option 2: Despite spending relatively more energy than option 1, you are more energised, feeling great, and more connected with yourself and your family. Why?
Your body is designed to move, every time you move, you stimulate the brain to be more active and functional. So how do you apply this to your daily life?
Here are some suggestions:
1. Begin the Day: Start the day with some movement. Whether you exercise, CrossFit, stretch or simply just move your body to initiate the day, you will feel more energised and ready to tackle the daily tasks (and be more productive).
2. Sprint vs. Marathon: Structure your schedule to have 60-90 mins of work SPRINTS, and in between these 90 mins SPRINTS, move your body! Get out of that chair and go to the toilet, get a drink of water, walk around the block… do something different than being in the same position that you were in the last 60-90 mins. You will be more creative and efficient in your tasks!
3. Change it up: Consider using a stand-up desk and mix it up a bit. Sit for parts of the day and stand for another. The goal is to keep changing rather than chronically being stuck.
Food:
We all know that healthy foods give you more overall energy and productivity. I don’t think we need to tell you things you already know. The challenge for most people is how to keep eating foods that fuel you rather than drain you.
Here are some rules that might help:
1. Elimination: Just stop buying junk. You don’t buy, invest or even research JUNK stocks, scams, or useless advice in the financial industries… you wouldn’t even consider it for yourself or your clients. Same advice here: eliminate the temptation and don’t even consider it.
2. Awareness: Observe how you feel after you eat certain foods. Just because the package says it is GOOD for you, doesn’t mean it is. That’s the marketing department speaking to you. Just observe how you feel energetically, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Does it make you feel tired, bloated, foggy, etc. These are good indications that your body doesn’t cope well with this type of food. Everyone reacts differently. Have some self-awareness.
3. Ask: Before you eat anything - ask yourself this question: Why am I eating this? Am I eating this because I am hungry? Stressed? Is this food going to fuel me? Am I eating just because? This simple “Check-in” question will keep you accountable to making better decisions in what you put in your body.
Mindset:
Mindset is one of my favorite topics. That’s why I produce an entire podcast “Inside the Champion’s Mind” on this one topic. I believe that we can all become the champion in our lives. But like every champion there are always setbacks, failures and obstacles to overcome. Life is not about the smooth trajectory of success. There is no growth without resistance - and everyone has their obstacle to overcome. Not one is bigger than another. We are all on our journeys, and we must find ways to learn to address them as our rite of passage.
Here is some food for thought:
1. Swim your own race: Everyone has their life to live. They have their success and failures. Stop chasing someone else’s dreams. Spend time how you want to live. Stay in your lane. Use others as a guide or inspiration but don’t just follow as you might end up chasing something you didn’t want. “Be yourself, everyone is already taken.” Oscar Wilde
2. Passion is bull$&#*: Follow your passion is not just about doing what you love. Following your passion is about your willing to “suffer” through what you care about. It is about your willingness to grind through the difficult times to get there. No one is an overnight success. Many are 10, 20, 30, or 40 years in the making, so are you. What are you willing to commit yourself to every day? I guarantee it is NOT your job, it is usually something your job provides you internally. It might be the impact that you make or the lives you change, either way, discover what this is and do more of it each day.
3. Enjoy the process: Life is not always about the OUTCOME. It is in the PROCESS. The process is what makes you the person you are. The process is where MASTERY is developed. The process is where you discover about yourself. The OUTCOME is just a measuring stick or a feedback loop on how you did during the process. When you focus on the process, you become a MASTER. You begin to develop skills that most people don't possess because you did the work most people are not willing to do. Mastery takes time and it is in the process where you discover WHO you are and what you bring to the world.
As I reflect on Dr Laurence Tham’s points above I put to you all this, make time to make changes in your every day. The changes do not have to be large, but they have to be about you.
1. Make time to move each day. This could be running, yoga, cycling or just walking with your children around the garden. I am a big believer in functional fitness, movement that involves the whole body and can be used to benefit every day activities e.g. squatting and deadlifting. I was recently introduced to Tim Robards who is a practicing Chiropractor and personal trainer. Tim has recently released a way of training and eating called ‘The Robards Method’ (TRM), which is a functional way of training that people of any level of fitness can enjoy and a practical way to approach food (https://therobardsmethod.com/). I will talk more on Tim and TRM in coming articles.
2. Step back and look at what your daily food diary looks like. Are you consuming too much sugar, alcohol, carbohydrates such as breads and cereals? Too many long lunches.
3. Practice being in the moment, meditation and/or positive affirmation. We all want financial success, career success or for our businesses to grow and flourish, but without taking time for ourselves, for our mind and bodies how can we expect to achieve our goals. If you would like to talk more about any of the items outlined in this article, or any wealth advisory matter please feel free to contact me on: John Purl Director Level 3, 100 Pirie St, Adelaide SA 5000 P: (08) 8232 2550 M: 0402 347 189 E: john@affinitascapital.com.au “As your trusted partner we navigate the complexities, delivering you the big outcomes” “Work Hard, Eat Clean, Move Regularly”