How Practicing the Art of Stillness Can Reward You as a Business Leader
Sitting quietly may not be a go-to activity for most entrepreneurs. High functioning business leaders tend to be masters of multi-tasking and that ability to hold space for multiple thoughts and ideas at once is one of the keys to success. But mastering the art of stillness when you want to can reap huge rewards for personalities that are constantly “on”.
For some entrepreneurs, it takes a huge change to find stillness. When Aaron Houghton, founder of Founders First System, sold his company he experienced “Calm” for the first time in his professional life. At first, it was uncomfortable. He felt it was “slow” and “unproductive.” Being hyperactive and full of anxiety was the norm and he felt that was a driving force to success.
“it took me two decades and the sale of one of my businesses for over $150 million to learn that success wasn't delivering the happiness I expected,” Aaron said. “As it turns out, I had been playing someone else’s game. All the time thinking I was blazing new trails, bettering my position in the world, and seizing every opportunity. Instead, I was at rock bottom. Exhausted. Anxious. Feeling foolish. Feeling helpless.”
Aaron spent five years studying how entrepreneurs manage stress, and personally tested techniques for achieving high performance while maintaining mental and physical health. Aaron then created the Founders First System, manifesting two decades of experience and years of research into a simple set of processes, disciplines, and metrics designed to improve the experience of founders and business leaders around the world.
“The number one response given to me by entrepreneurs when I ask if they have any pure, unbreakable, die-hard rules for managing their personal behavior when they encounter times of extreme pressure and stress is “they work harder.” There is no self-respect in this level of self-abuse.”
Stillness is Restorative
A calm mind means a calm person, and calm people make good decisions. Looking back, Aaron says he could see his success came with the hidden costs of long-term stress; including panic attacks, debilitating anxiety, and a cancer diagnosis in 2009. He had a habit of pushing himself to the absolute limit. He was trading sleep to hit deadlines, trading nutrition to save pennies, and enduring chronic stress year after year so he could chase his dreams.
The restorative power of stillness cannot be over emphasized enough when it comes to making a good business decision. By periodically stepping away from daily demands and limiting inputs to prevent information overload, high achievers can gain perspective on their problems and come back to them with a better decision-making ability. FFS offers easy to implement lessons and strategies that calm the mind and body in order to achieve your optimal headspace. These include everything from movement and meditation to identity activates and visualization.
Simple Methods. Big Results
So how do founders find calm amongst the chaos of the entrepreneur lifestyle? Founders First is here to help. Visit Founders First System today to learn how practicing stillness can reward you as a business leader.
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Founders First is a set of evaluation tools that will improve your business by strengthening its most critical asset: You.
Join the Community
Founders First is a set of evaluation tools that will improve your business by strengthening its most critical asset: You.
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