Great Entrepreneurs, Questionable Health -- 4 Steps to Founder Fitness

Being an entrepreneur is all consuming,taxing on the mind, body and wallet. One thing that can get lost in the entrepreneur shuffle is any semblance of good health management, particularly around the holidays.

As an entrepreneur and someone managing a chronic illness (Crohn's disease), I never have the luxury to put myself last.So health management is something I think of all day, every day. But health management doesn't have to require so much effort.

Four common financial lessons can also be reinterpreted for entrepreneurs toachieve better personal health and in so doing achieve better business outcomes.

1. Don't ignore problems.

It's easy to put off dealing with large looming problems. But in business, managing the overallfinancial picture must be tackled.

Likewise managing major health issues promptly is wise. Blood pressure or cholesterol tests can produce scary results but theydon’t cause problems only uncover them. It's critical to know where you stand before developing a course of action to improve your health (and finances).

2. Rely ondata.

Data-based decision making is all the rage right now, thanks to some high-powered computers and algorithms that measure everything from website traffic, clicks, sales and bounces. Many entrepreneurs do A-B testing for theirmarketing campaigns to determine the best online strategy.

Now fitness trackers and other health wearables are creating a way for entrepreneurs to capitalize on their data-prone nature. The only way I know if I have moved enough on a daily basis is if I hit my metrics for steps. But beyond using activity trackers, there are other options for managing chronic illness, like glucometers or wireless BMI scales, that provide useful data.

3. prepare.

When going into a big sales or client meeting, preparation is critical, as most entrepreneurs know.

Yet many businesspeoplego through the week eating and drinking things that theyhaven’t really thought through. Whentired in the afternoon, they find it easy to grab a soda for an immediate caffeine kick.

But as with closing that important sale, staying energized all day takes preparation. In my experience, drinking water the first thing in the morning helps increase alertness.A2005 National Institutes of Health studyproduced data that backs my anecdotal evidence. The study looked at subjects deprived of water for 24 hours and those with normal water consumption and found that those without water felt more tired and less alert.

On-the-go entrepreneurs alsoneed to think ahead aboutwhat they'lleat during the day. Google offers employees many options for free food in its company cafeteria.The company found, however, thatmaking some small changesdrastically affected what employees chose to eat.

As part of a study, Google moved M&Ms from clear to opaque containers,leading its 2,000 employees to consume 3.1 million fewer calories in the first seven weeks. The tech giantdid the same thing for sodas. Whilewater was kept behind a clear glass at eye level, sodas were put in the bottom drawer. 58003 It'sabout making it easier for them to avoid poor eating decisions.