Every so often, I’ll have problems concentrating. I won’t be productive, even though I really want to accomplish things within my business. I’ll have no energy, and don’t know why.
When this happens, I get the bare minimum done. It’s not that I don’t want to work, I do. But I just can’t get myself to do anything more than that. My to-do list goes out the window, and I’m lucky if I am able to cross off one or two of the items that day.
It turns out, when this happens, I’m not getting enough sleep. I’ve had this happen before, and sometimes it takes more than a few days for me to realize that this is happening again.
For the last few weeks, I went to sleep late. It’s my own fault. I knew I should go to sleep and yet I wanted to read. So I stayed up late reading, but still had to get up early in the morning.
Obviously I was tired in the morning. When you don’t get enough sleep, that’s a given. Unfortunately, I also had a lot of other side effects as well. I want to pass them along, as you may not realize it but getting more sleep may help you in a lot of different ways.
Here are 7 ways that getting more sleep made me a better marketer:
1. I Have More Motivation
When I don’t get enough sleep, I’m not motivated the next day. I want to get work done. I want to do all sorts of things, but I can’t get myself to do them. I tell myself I’ll do them tomorrow.
When I do get enough sleep, I have more motivation. I want to do things. Not only do I want to do them, but I actually do them. I accomplish things. I’m motivated to get a lot done, and it’s a great feeling.
2. I Have Better Habits
When I don’t get enough sleep, I muddle through the day. I am lucky to get some things done, but that’s about it. I don’t have energy to exercise, cook, or do things that I should be doing.
When I’m getting enough sleep, I set a schedule, and stick to it. I get more chores done around the house, and anything else that I really want to do. I don’t give myself excuses not to do something. I accomplish things.
If I set my mind to doing certain things within my business that day, I’ll get them done. I follow through in what I say I want to do.
3. I Have More Energy
When I get enough sleep, I’m happy to get up a little bit earlier in the morning to exercise. Not only is exercising good for me, but it gives me more energy for the rest of the day. It helps put me in an even better mood. I get even more work done this way.
I also have the energy to cook, so I’m eating healthier instead of any processed foods that I find around the house. I’ll make smarter food decisions, so instead of having chips, I’ll have some fruit or nuts.
I’ll move around more during the day, which keeps me energetic, and then I’ll get more work done. You wouldn’t think that you need to have a lot of energy to sit in front of a laptop and work, but you do.
4. I’m in a Better Mood
I’m in a much better mood when I get enough sleep. I’m happier. I look forward to things. I plan fun things to do. It’s great being in a better mood. It’s also awesome that all I needed to do was get a little bit more sleep, and I’m automatically happier.
When you’re in a better mood, you want to do things. You want to work on your business. You want to spend time on it, and make it the best that it can be. You want to grow your business, and put the time and effort into it.
Being in a good mood helps every area of your life. Again, you wouldn’t think that you needed to be in a good mood to get more done with your business, but it definitely helps. When you’re in a good mood, it’s easier to get work done, and you do a better job with it.
5. I Am More Productive
When you have your own business, the more you get done, the more money you can make. Being productive can completely change your bottom line. So you want to do anything that you can to be more productive.
If you want to be more productive, getting enough sleep will really make a difference. If that’s the only difference you make, you’ll be surprised at how big of a difference it will be to your productivity.
6. I Have More Ideas
It’s a silly way to put it, but I felt that my brain “works better” when I get enough sleep. Not only do I have a lot more ideas, but everything seems to work better in my mind.
When I don’t get enough sleep, I can still get some tasks done, but I know that I could have done them better.
I’m able to be more creative and come up with ideas of what to post about. I’m able to come up with ideas of what else I want to work on. I can think of things that I want to do with my business in the future.
7. I’m More Open to Suggestions and New Opportunities
This one sounds strange, but it can really help with your business. When I don’t get enough sleep, I’m more willing to say no to new things. I’m barely getting things done that I want to, so I’m not going to look for new things to do. If I see a new opportunity, I’m not going to take it. I won’t want to!
But when I get enough sleep, I’m excited to take someone’s suggestion of something I should do. I’m happy to try a new opportunity to see where it leads me. These types of things can really change your business, but if you don’t try them, you’ll never know.
I know that it can be hard to make sure you get enough sleep each night. We only have so much time a day, and late at night is when most of us get “down time” that we can do whatever we want with.
Using some of that time to sleep can seriously change your life though. It can make you happier, healthier, more energetic, more productive, and more successful. You wouldn’t think that a little bit of extra sleep can do so much, but it can. Try it for the next few days. Try to get an extra 15 or 30 minutes of sleep, and see how it affects your life. I have a feeling that once you see the differences, you’re not going to want to give up that extra sleep!
Enjoy,
