8 Business & Life Lessons From 30 Pounds of Weight Loss

I have lost 30lbs!!! Since starting my weight loss journey in 2017, I have learned a lot about myself. I had been wanting to lose weight for a while and decided to go ahead and make a real commitment. I will be honest, when it comes to certain things I am incredibly driven and will move heaven and earth to make things happen. With the weight loss goal, it wasn’t something I was sure I could tackle the way I wanted to and needed to on my own. I had to make a commitment and that meant putting up the funds and bringing in a professional.

Simultaneously I have worked to lose weight and grow my business in 2017 and I couldn’t help but notice a lot of similarities in these challenging yet rewarding adventures. I’ve lost more weight than I thought possible and am still losing. I’ve had my highest earning month from my business in 2017. So here are a few lessons weight loss can teach you about business and vice versa.

Sometimes You Just Need a Cheerleader

We are all capable of losing weight as well as following our business goals. Neither of which is easy. Both take a lot of work and different moving parts. Sometimes you know exactly what you need to do, but you can’t find the motivation without a cheerleader. Sometimes that cheerleader may be a positive blog post comment, a blogger buddy you haven’t ever met in real life or a nutritionist who makes you step on a scale and share a food diary three times a week. Obviously, it’s not cut and dry. You don’t wake up one day and say, “I want to lose 30 pounds,” or “I want to start a 5 figure business,” then get to go to bed having accomplished that goal the same day. You probably know what it is you need to do, or where you can find the information to make those things happen but sometimes just having someone in your corner can make a huge difference.

Success Takes Time

Like I mentioned above, you don’t wake up, start a business and retire in one day. You also don’t do 25 sit ups and have 6-pack abs.  Anything worth having takes time.

Excuse me while I hop on my soapbox, but I think that an excellent example of this is that show about getting married at first sight. I haven’t watched it but I feel like I wouldn’t want to marry someone who thought that was a good way to pick a mate.

I have had my fair share (and then some) of difficult relationshits (yes I said shits, not ships) but I would rather find my soulmate through experiences, time and building real connections than a reality t.v. show. Sorry, not sorry Bachelorette fans.

But even with arranged marriages or tv marriages, it still takes time after the “I Do” to build a real relationship.

It’s Easier to Screw Up Than Succeed

It is much simpler to stop at Mcdonald’s and grab a Mcdouble and small fry than it is to go home after a long day at the office (that is going to be followed by a long night of side hustling) and make some tilapia and freshly sauteed veggies.

It’s also a lot easier to publish a crappy post than a polished, spelled proofed one with a killer pinnable graphic and content upgrade.

That is why so many people fail at business and at losing weight. Yes, it is a lot easier to mess up than to succeed but that shouldn’t stop you from trying. In fact, it’s the opposite. The fact that it’s so easy to “mess up” or get off track should inspire you to work harder to keep yourself in check and be consistent with the right habits and practices.

Don’t Burn Down the Whole House Over One Dirty Dish

Sometimes you will find yourself at a barbecue for a friends birthday. You tried to plan ahead. You ate a huge salad before you left for the party and even brought a fruit and veggie plate. You’ve spent 4 hours nibbling on healthy goodies and catching up with friends then some serious hunger hits. You decide it wouldn’t totally crush your diet to have a piece of barbecued chicken, after all, it’s protein. Next thing you know a piece of chicken has turned into a piece of chicken, some ribs, baked beans, a roll and a piece of birthday cake (I mean it’s a party). Okay, you got off track but that doesn’t mean you give up. So what you had a less than ideal meal? That’s going to happen even after you reach your weight loss goal you have to be able to get back on the horse when you eat something that isn’t ideal because a healthy diet, like business and life, is all about balance.

Some weeks your best friend will be getting married, your grandma will be sick or you’ll have a horrible break up and you’ll need to take a few days off or you may miss a deadline. This isn’t ideal, but as they say, life happens. When you miss that deadline or didn’t post this week’s post, don’t just avoid the client or act like nothing happened. Get back to it! Email the customer apologizing for the delay, explaining you had an emergency and telling them when you will have the project completed. Just because you have one bad moment doesn’t mean you give up.

You’ll Probably Notice Your Progress Before Anyone Else

I remember when I hit the 15-pound mark. I had started to see the difference in my body so when I met up with friends I hadn’t seen in awhile and they didn’t automatically applaud me on my weight loss I felt like maybe it wasn’t noticeable. I once read it takes four weeks for you to notice, eight weeks for family and friends and 12 weeks for the rest of the world. I don’t remember what week this was but I think that is an excellent reminder. I’m pretty transparent on the blog but I have always been the type who is private about money stuff. So while I may be making regular income people don’t see it. So when you’re having those wins or seeing those PayPal deposits you may feel like a serious boss and know that you are making progress but then one of your friends may say one of the most condescending things people say to bloggers and online business owners, “You’re still doing that blog thing? That’s so cute. What a fun hobby!”

When you’re screaming on the inside, “I don’t know many hobbies that pay you $300 for 2 hours of work.”

The thing is you have to block all that out, you know your numbers and you know the progress you’ve made. With weight loss and business you are building something for you and your approval is what matters.

Other Times You’ll Feel Like You’re Getting Nowhere But Someone Will See You

Other times you won’t notice your weight loss or your progress because, duh, you see yourself every day. You’re feeling unmotivated and unsuccessful and then someone says, “Have you lost weight?” “Your business looks like it’s doing so well.” “I’m so proud of you!” While you are doing it for yourself, you may be having a rough time. You may feel like you’re not getting anywhere and then someone out of nowhere somewhere else tells you that you are doing great.

The reason this happens is because as humans most of us are so hard on ourselves and even if we want to celebrate the small wins it’s easy to sit there in frustration that you haven’t reached your end goal.

Listen to that positive feedback and let it push you.

People Will Try to Hinder You (Even if they don’t mean to)

While most people will tell you not to drink on a diet, I do allow myself one night a week to have drinks. That being said I try to balance it by sticking water and hard liquor mixes and eating protein and veggies before and after. I have a friend who I’ve been pretty open with about the way I am eating and that I’m not drinking beer and only occasionally red wine. This person has continued to invite me to places for drinks that only serve beer or when I am looking at the drink menu will say, “They have beer too.” I know it’s not on purpose and that she has the body type where she can eat whatever she wants but it’s so frustrating to say constantly, “I’m not drinking beer.” Besides trying to be healthier beer just makes me feel bloated most of the time I drink it, so I avoid it.

So when decided to hang out and she suggests a beer garden and I have to say for the 100th time, “They only have a beer and I’m not drinking beer,” is maddening especially when there is about a 1 to 10 ratio of beer only and beer, liquor and wine establishments in this city.

People will offer you a plate of greasy cheese fries or buy you a sugary shot. In business, people will tell you to take the day off. “You don’t need to be so thorough with that client work, send it end and get it done.”  Again they probably aren’t trying to sabotage you on purpose, but you have to be able to spot when the people in your life are presenting you with something that might hinder your mission and turn it down.

I’m not saying skip every happy hour, don’t have a piece of birthday cake ever again or overthink every email you send clients but be able to recognize when to give yourself a little leeway and when to stick to your plan.

You Have to Stick With It

Very few things worth having, happen quickly. There will be good days and there will be bad days. There will be days where your baked fish and fresh veggies just seem like the best meal you’ve ever had. There will be days where all you want is a cheeseburger with bacon, avocado and grilled onions. There will be days where you get great feedback from clients and you are so grateful for your mission. There will be days where you feel like you can’t get anything accomplished and just want to quit. Nothing is perfect all the time; some days are better than others. You just have to keep going. If you want to see real results you have to keep working.

These may be lessons that apply to life in general and not just business and weight loss but I couldn’t help but see the similarities. Have you taken any significant strides in your business, blog or health this year? If so what might you add to this list? Tell me in the comments.

And now my mandatory before and after photo. (Sorry for the excessive watermark, I don’t want some random site claiming I used their diet pills.)