5 Shifts That Drastically Changed Me and Helped My Business Grow
Yuli Azarch | January 22, 2018 | 3 Comments on 5 Shifts That Drastically Changed Me and Helped My Business Grow
After you’ve been doing something for a few years, you have enough information to stop for a minute, turn around, and reflect on everything you’ve done during those years. And through that reflection, you get to see which of the things you’ve incorporated into your life made it better.
Also, when you reflect on those things helps, you see which of those shifts you took in your life were actually beneficial.
In this episode, I share with you 5 shifts that drastically changed my life and made my businesses grow.
Lessons from this episode:
- You Are The Average of the 5 People You Spend The Most Time With (00:00 – 00:58)
- Stop working with “B” and “C” Players (00:58 – 03:09)
- Read More (03:09 – 05:37)
- Meditate Every Day (05:37 – 07:32)
- Prioritize your Health (07:32 – 09:19)
Listen closely, maybe you’ve already incorporated some of this changes, but if you haven’t, make sure you start with at least one of these life-changing habits; I guarantee you, you will reap benefits from it.
5 Shifts That Drastically Changed Me and Helped My Business Grow
1. You Are The Average of the 5 People You Spend The Most Time With (00:00 – 00:58)
When I started the path of the digital nomad, three and a half years ago, I changed drastically the way I lived. I was living in Israel, and people surrounded me. I spoke to my mother, to friends. Those were my close five. However, as soon as I started traveling, I changed the number of people I frequented, and I realized that the better the people you surround yourself with, the better you become.
During many, many months, I was alone with my thoughts and “secluded,” listening to tons of audiobooks. I spent hours reading about the masters of our time and the paying attention to what they had to say. And, after six months living like this, I noticed my income had, literally, quadrupled.
One of the reasons I believe this happened is because I surrounded myself with five successful people. They might not have been physical people, but I was hanging out with them anyway, listening to what they had to say.
And I became the average of them.
Since then, I meticulously look whom I spend the most of my time with so I can get the best results in my life and business, even if that sometimes leads me to live a, once again, “secluded” life.
2. Stop working with “B” and “C” Players (00:58 – 03:09)
I stopped working with “B” and “C” players. Before reaching this conclusion, I used to think differently; I always looked for the cheapest people. If I wanted a freelancer, I looked to hire the one who offered its services for the cheapest, leading me to hire Filipino workers, which didn’t work for me.
Now, I realize that many people share that same mindset, particularly when they’re starting their business. Commonly, they hire people from the Philippines or India for a few hundred dollars a month, and while they could turn out to be fantastic workers, the focus shouldn’t ever be on hiring the cheapest person.
If they’re more expensive than others, it means that they’ll usually help you get your investment back. And it took me a while to get used to paying more for people, mainly because I was spending little before. But I wanted talent.
This, in my opinion, is super important when it comes to customer support. Customer support represents your marketing front line. If you have the best person answering to your customers’ queries, you’ll get happy, returning customers.
In the end, you want the best person for the job. Don’t hire the cheapest one because what is cheap is usually expensive in the long run. If you hire cheap workers, you might end up paying more. If you find talented people for less, great, but that’s not the focus.
The focus should always be on quality and finding A players and build an A team to help you and your business.
3. Read More (03:09 – 05:37)
Read more: two words with a powerful message. Reading drastically changed my life. I believe that reading is one of the best habits a person can have and one of the best time investments a person can make. When I read, I think more clearly, have ten times more ideas, and become much more productive and creative.
On the contrary, during the periods my life is more hectic, particularly while I’m traveling, I read less, and I’m not as mentally active as I am when I read every day. I might be more concentrated on my businesses or planning things. I may even work more but have fewer ideas overall.
Reading might not be a huge change in your life, but if you already have a business going and clients who expect your best, these small ideas you get from your readings might actually get you more money and more insights you can apply and double your productivity.
I try and read, at least, three to four hours a day. I recently read an article that said that successful people read like maniacs, and, hey, it might be true. Reading gives you many ideas you won’t have otherwise. So, let’s read. Besides, books are cheap and awesome.
4. Meditate Every Day (05:37 – 07:32)
In the past, I meditated a few times a week; now, I have begun to incorporate meditation into my daily life. Meditation helps me focus on the tasks in my day and my life. For instance, when I don’t meditate, I might look busy and like I’m working, but I’m not as nearly as focused as I am when I meditate.
I’ve noticed, too, that pretty much every single successful person I’ve read about incorporates at least a meditation practice in their lives.
However, don’t listen to me, listen to the experts. For example, Ray Dalio, the meditation guru and author of Principles, recommends meditation as one of the essential practices for being successful in business. And, let’s face it, business is an intellectual sport, so everything that helps you focus is right for you.
5. Prioritize your Health (07:32 – 09:19)
My last shift was making my health a priority. This meant a drastic change in my life. In the last three years, I’ve made my health a priority. Before, I used to sleep 6 hours every day. Now, I try to sleep at least 8 hours. When I sleep, I feel much better; I feel clear and rested. When I have a bad night of sleep, I feel duller and less sharp.
Also, I’ve begun to work out more; that’s an absolute must. I eat better than used to, and I’ve started investing more money in my diet. Now, I eat organic foods, and I take health supplements. Before, I used to get sick at least four times a year, but I don’t get sick nearly as often after I changed my habits.
This morning, before recording, I worked out, I fasted, I meditated, and I feel incredible. I feel clear and super focused. Prepared to do everything I have to do with a clear head.
These were my five shifts. They seem small but have given me huge benefits. So, go ahead and try one of these shifts. Go easy and do it one at the time, you won’t regret it.
Last Words and Takeaways
Changing our habits can be hard, but you don’t have to do everything overnight. In my case, it’s been, and still is, a process. I’ve accomplished many things in three years, but I’m still learning the ropes.
And you can do the same. Small adjustments can reap great benefits. Just try it; start testing and see how you feel.
- Surround yourself with the best people you can find; even if they’re not there physically, their teachings will make you better
- Meditate before starting your day, take thirty minutes to put every piece in their place and start your day focused.
- Invest your money in A players; it doesn’t matter if you have to pay more for their talent.
- Aim at reading for at least an hour each day. Take every moment you can. If you ride the bus, use that time and read a book. If you’re in a traffic jam, don’t stress and read.
- Buy the best food available. Your body will thank you.
- Make your health a priority; you’ll feel better and more up to the challenges.
Live a fuller, richer life.
All the best until next episode,
Yuli
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