It was somewhere between the tree pose and forward bend, where students toppled around me as I tried to stay upright that it hit me, there is a lesson to be learned from yoga that can be applied to my business.
As a solopreneur the work/life balance can be tough and it can be worsened if you feel the need to constantly be working on your business around the clock. What about those that went into business to escape the 9-5 (or 6 or 7) hustle? Can we still be successful? Can we still accomplish our business goals and have a life outside of business. I truly believe you can. I started Digitally Evergreen because I knew there had to be a better way to create an impact while on the clock and find time to enjoy life outside of work. In my self-discovery for this better balance, I’ve found there are fruitful lessons hidden among the ohms and namastes of yoga that can help propel us forward without losing our balance.
And before we dive in, a quick disclaimer: I consider myself to be a solid beginner and admirer of the practice of yoga and in no way pretend to be an expert on the subject.
Here are the 11 lessons I learned from yoga that can be applied to business (and life).
1. When you’re trying to balance while the people around you are toppling over, choose something to focus on and stay steady.
Rather than watching the person next to you in your peripheral or seeing the guy in front of you shakily holding his breath while holding a one legged tree pose, don’t focus on all the noise or the person next to you. Instead look ahead and find a steady point to focus your attention. This will prevent you from getting distracted and losing your balance.
Not sure where to focus your attention amongst all the distractions? Digitally Evergreen can help bring you clarity to your biz.
2. When you’re on the mat, put your to do list and worries away.
Running your own business means a never-ending to do list and the need to always be thinking ahead. It can be tempting to use the quiet hour yoga provides to try and organize your thoughts and plans, but science shows that being in the moment (also called mindfulness) has numerous benefits like being less stressed, more appreciative, happier, and more in tune with your thoughts, just to name a few. Furthermore, when you are at work, multitasking can prevent you from accomplishing what needs to get done and if you’re trying to do too much, you may end up taking longer to do the task or make mistakes and need to start over. So, don’t let your thoughts steal your time! Instead, block off time to dive deep into a project or task, don’t get ahead of yourself and try to work on tons of things at once, and leave the thoughts and worries for another time.
3. When something gets hard, breath through it.
When you hit an obstacle or the yoga teacher says to go into chair pose, don’t give up. Instead hold on and breath. When it’s over, you’ll be glad you did!
4. When you relax, you get a better result.
When we’re tense, we don’t think as clearly and we limit ourselves from reaching our full potential. Next time you feel yourself tensing up and bracing for something that will stretch you mentally or physically, relax and melt into the pose to find you can handle more than you thought.
5. Perfection won’t happen overnight.
This lesson should not come as a surprise. We know that expertise and growth take time. We are more forgiving of ourselves when we can’t touch our toes during our first yoga class, but we can be much less forgiving when we don’t see instant results in our business. Keep showing up, reaching, and pushing yourself, try out new poses, and before you know it you’ll see improvement.
6. Don’t compare yourself to others.
This is another one that we’ve heard before, but it can be SO HARD to resist the urge of comparison. Seeing others success on social media doesn’t make it any easier. Remember: people show their best days on social media, not their average days and certainly not their worst. Everyone’s journey and starting point is different and looking at the person next to you hitting every pose didn’t start there. You created your business to offer your unique gifts and talents to the world, so focus on those instead.
You know why you created your business. Whether it was to execute a vision, solve a problem, to provide for your family, and/or give you more flexibility. Whatever the reason, don’t lose sight of YOUR why and remember that you started this business to enjoy life.
If you find yourself a bit envious or insecure, try out one of these mantras:
- Collaboration over competition.
- A rising tide lifts all ships.
Do you have other mantras you use? Share them in the comments!
7. You can always learn more and do better.
You practice yoga, law and medicine and there’s a reason for this! Laws and technology are always changing and new medicines are being introduced. Approach your business in the same way. To stay relevant and competitive in your field, don’t be afraid to try new products, new approaches, technologies and learn from others.
8. When you put in the work, you can enjoy the end result. (Savasana anyone?)
There’s nothing better than sprawling your limbs and sinking into the mat after an intense yoga session. Remember this next time you’re facing a big deadline or working on a tough project. Just like in yoga, you must overcome obstacles and let go to reach the absolute state. All of the hard work you’ve put into your business will be so very worth it when you can sit back and enjoy what you’ve built!
9. Everything is more fun with a community.
Yes, you can do yoga alone and your business is no different. But isn’t it nice to know that there are others that share your interests, passions, struggles, and can offer a hand when you need it? Isn’t it nice to look over your shoulder every now and then (I know, I said not to do this in point #5) and make sure you’ve got the right foot forward?
There’s power in a group of strong women, moving to the same rhythm and breathing in unison. Find a community for you and your business that energizes you and helps you breathe through the tough bits. While you might be a solopreneur, it doesn’t mean you have to do your practice solo.
10. You can learn on your own, but nice with a teacher.
Sure, you can teach yourself anything with enough time and patience, but to get faster results and know that you’re not going to throw out your back in the process, a teacher can help. With expert guidance and a helping hand to make adjustments, you can get deeper results quicker.
11. Find enjoyment.
Yoga isn’t just about exercise and getting fit. It’s about self-improvement, creating a healthy mindset, and for many, the overall vibes of yoga carry over into their everyday lives.
Let the flexibility carry over into your day-to-day life, take moments to reflect and refocus, experiment, play and find new inspiration that will carry over into your business.
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