What's your next best step?
Sleep · taste · exercise · pulmonary
Elevate your Self-Care to the Next S.T.E.P.
Leaders Beware: Do this first and set the stage for success
The Misguided Hero
You are a leader, we get it. You’re juggling deadlines, meetings, teams, clients, family… the list is endless.
The challenge? Too much to do – too little time, too little energy.
The solution? Push yourself. Work overtime to finish that proposal. Skip a meal to train an employee. Stay up past midnight to sign those tax papers.
You do the impossible – you are the engine that propels your business. You unselfishly sacrifice yourself to ensure the thriving success of your company and family.
You’re the hero, right? WRONG!
As much as the world tells you that in order to succeed you need to keep going, keep pushing, keep giving – you are forgetting one crucial factor – YOU.
Your Oxygen Mask First
Neglecting yourself for the greater good might seem heroic, but it’s a misguided path. You are the foundation, and if you’re not at your best, everything else crumbles.
You’ve got to put on your oxygen mask first – invest in your own self-care before you can care for others. Only by putting your essential needs at the core will you have enough strength, energy and creativity to support those around you.
Demands vs Capacity
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?"
You’re a powerhouse – you’ve got the whole squad counting on you – yourself, your family, your team, clients and your greater network.
You love being a leader and you are good at it, but the expectations are overwhelming – your perceived capacity falls way short of the demands.
You’ve got to strap on your oxygen mask first, take care of your self-care first, in order to boost your capacity. But it doesn’t stop there – only taking care of yourself is a selfish attitude.
Instead, once you’ve taken care of yourself, it’s showtime! Now you are ready to unleash your awesomeness on the world!
Welcome to S.T.E.P. - The self-care "oxygen mask" for busy leaders like
STEP is our simple yet powerful solution to prioritize your self-care and well-being. STEP stands for Sleep, Taste, Exercise, Pulmonary (intentional breathing) – the foundational elements of a healthy lifestyle. It’s time to shift from neglecting yourself to making YOU a priority, setting yourself on a path to physical vitality, emotional well-being, and abundant energy.
So, What's your next best ?
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SLEEP
Your well-being starts with the quality of your sleep. Your body heals during those crucial hours, so make the most of this time. You, like most high achievers, need around 7 hours of sleep – no shortcuts. In our experience, sleep can solve up to 40% of problems.
Most leaders sacrifice sleep to get more done. This is the wrong approach because sleeping little to achieve much is not noble, it’s disastrous!
Extended sleep deprivation seriously jeopardizes cognitive abilities and overall well-being. That’s not all. It results in slowed thinking, shortened attention span, diminished memory, poor decision-making, low energy, and erratic moods. Do you want more? Chronic sleep deprivation is linked to health issues like obesity, heart problems, diabetes, hormonal imbalances, and cognitive impairment.
According to McKinsey research, there is a clear and proven correlation between sufficient sleep and effective leadership and organizational health. Behaviors such as results-oriented approaches, problem-solving skills, diverse perspective seeking and supportive actions are all related to getting sufficient sleep.
When you slip under the covers at night, take a moment to set the stage for a fantastic night’s sleep. Create a peaceful, quiet and dark sleep environment for relaxation and peak performance the next day. Seize those minutes of sleep!
And then seize the next day.
Self-Program Your Subconscious Mind with LIFO (Last In First Out)
Sleep is a powerhouse for rejuvenation and regeneration, both physically and emotionally. Our systems utilize the night for growth and repair and our subconscious minds use this time to consolidate memories, process information, heal emotionally and generate insights.
Tap into the LIFO (Last In-First Out) process at night and morning to positively influence your subconscious mind by leveraging the crucial transitions to and from sleep.
Take advantage of the pivotal transitions to and from sleep!
Nighttime sleep involves recurring cycles of NREM (non-rapid eye movement) and REM (rapid eye movement) stages. During these cycles, your subconscious is busy with processes such as consolidating memories during NREM sleep and healing emotionally along with generating insights during REM sleep.
How it’s done:
The LIFO card is made up of 2 parts – Last In Evening Reflections and First Out Morning Reflections. Set aside some quiet time to fill out both sides of the card by considering your values and what matters most. Periodically take a new card and update the contents to infuse new energy into your life.
Read the contents of the “LI Evening Reflections” side of the card out loud right before you fall asleep at night and read the “FO Morning Reflections” side of the card out loud as you first wake up in the morning.
Leverage your sleep cycles with the LIFO Process
LI Evening Reflections: As you doze off, you enter the powerful NREM transition to sleep. Use this time to provide direction for your subconscious to work on during your upcoming REM sleep.
Seize this opportunity to reflect on your day—contemplate your successes, achievements and challenges. Express gratitude for your accomplishments and all the good in your life. Channel your attention toward your values and what matters most in your life. Formulate empowering self-affirmations such as “I am confident,” “I am capable,” or “I am resilient.”
FO Morning Reflections: As you wake up, blend your conscious thoughts with the lingering influence of your subconscious to frame the new day purposefully.
Use these precious moments to shape both your mindset and your intended achievements as the first thing that you focus on trains your brain to frame your day. Reflect on your gratitude, consider what matters most in your life, and strategize how you intend to infuse purpose into the hours to come.
Giving cues to your subconscious during the pivotal transitions in and out of sleep can influence the work your mind does at night, subsequently shaping your thoughts and actions when you’re awake.
Remember, Whatever you feed Grows
Now that you learned all about sleep, are you ready for your next S.T.E.p.?
TASTE
Taste includes drinking & diet.
Drinking: After air, water is the world’s most abundant substance, emphasizing the importance of drinking. Water constitutes most of our bodies and is essential to our bodily functions.
Many people walk around dehydrated—and don’t even know it. They chalk up the fatigue, dry mouth and headaches to the effects of their busy lifestyles, not realizing that water is so crucial for well-being. Keep your favorite, filled water bottle close by all day long to ensure you are always hydrated and refreshed.
Diet: The inner game of diet is your perception of food – if you believe it is tasty, it will be. The outer game focuses on environmental design – make healthy food easily accessible and quick to prepare. The secret to wholesome eating? Keep it simple – opt for food choices that demand minimal prep, so you aren’t tempted to pop open that cookie jar.
A major factor in feeling full or feeling hungry is in our minds. It’s true!
In a captivating study by Alia Crum, participants were given either an indulgent, 620 calorie milkshake or a sensible, 140 calorie milkshake. As expected, those who consumed the high calorie shake showed a steep decline in ghrelin – the “hunger hormone,” indicating that they felt a greater sense of satisfaction afterwards than those who were given the low calorie shake.
The catch? Both milkshakes were exactly the same!!
The only difference? How filling the participants thought the milkshake was. That’s right – those who consumed the indulgent shake showed actual changes in their hormone levels, just by thinking the shake was more satisfying. So, ditch the idea that healthy food is flavorless and unsatisfying – believe it’s delicious and filling, and let it magically transform!
Need Some Easy & Simple Recipe Ideas?
Get inspired by some recipes tried and tasted by Jon himself.
If the idea of healthy eating seems about as exciting as munching on a cardboard box, you’ve never experienced the flavorful world of Jon’s culinary delights. Jon Goldman is not just a master facilitator & mentor – he’s also a fabulous cook who believes that healthy and delicious are NOT contradictions. So get ready to spice up your life with Jon’s empowering edibles.
These are his all time favorite easy and simple recipes you can try yourself.
Just click on the image to view and download his favorite recipes.
Now that you Read about TASTE, are you ready for your next S.T.E.p.?
Exercise
Exercise is not just about losing weight, it’s the unsung hero of physical, emotional & psychological wellbeing. Taking that initial step might feel challenging, so begin with something quick and simple. Once you establish a routine, inertia kicks in. This allows you to build momentum – it’s all about those small wins. Keep it consistent and infuse an element of fun into the process for immediate and long-term results.
If you want to feel more confident and cool under pressure as well as more positive, focused and productive, the answer is—-exercise! According to The Harvard Business Review, regular exercise bolsters one’s confidence and belief in their ability to excel in professional tasks.
You can run on a treadmill at home, join a gym if you like camaraderie, or “get in some reps” at the office—just make your routine short and fun. If your office workout is short and fun, you are much more likely to do it.
Whatever exercise you choose, start slow and don’t forget to reward yourself after you finish. We all thrive on wins and rewards, and you’ll have just earned both.
Now that you have some practiacl exercises to do, are you ready for your next S.T.E.p.?
Pulmonary (Breath)
Intentional Breathing – Breathing is the same word as “soul” in many languages. The world is mostly air, illustrating its essential role in sustaining life. Intentional breathing is the mindful practice of taking control of your breath consciously. We’ve placed breathing last on the STEP list because you’re already doing it – now, let’s elevate it to a new level.
Beyond its vital role in sustaining life, conscious breathing holds the key to enhanced focus, reduced stress, and a profound connection to the core of your well-being. But who can focus on breathing while so much is happening around us all of the time?
This is where a short breath break anytime of the day can release pressure and bring you back to the moment, re-energized with clear thinking. Even simply taking two intentional breaths can make a world of difference.
There are many strategies for breath breaks—intentional pauses designed to reignite creativity, foster presence, and bring our prefrontal cortex to the forefront. They provide a quick escape from moments that might test your patience and allow you to remain composed and in control. After all, nobody wants to be known as somebody who loses their cool.