If you are a sports fan like I am, then you know this is one of the most exciting times of the year!

We are in the middle of March Madness, which gives me many opportunities to watch my favorite sport, women’s college basketball (and to relive the wonderful memories of the year my Berry College basketball team won a national championship).

In fact, today, March 27, is the 49th anniversary of that championship game! And in a very fun coincidence, March 27 is also my birthday and the birthday of my Berry College sister and teammate, Lynn Lovette. You can bet our birthday celebration was extra special 49 years ago. The picture on the left is our team, including our remarkable leader, Coach Kay James, at our recent reunion.

The incredible athletes we cheer for on the court and field always inspire me. They dedicate countless hours to physical and mental training, learning alongside their coaches and teammates, all in the hopes of being among the greatest in their sport.

You know where I am going with this: these traits translate directly to our work as business professionals. Commitment to greatness, discipline, a willingness to learn, and skilled collaboration with a team are all vital to success in the business AND sports arenas.

But entrepreneurs need to do more than just watch and admire athletes to draw inspiration from their greatness. The road to professional success also requires us to follow their lead and move our bodies!

Creating and sticking to a regular fitness routine can create habits that have a positive influence on your business and bottom line. In fact, research has shown that exercise can have a significant impact on both job satisfaction and job performance.

Don’t believe me? Here are four ways your workout can translate into professional success.

1. Working Out Can Flex Your Self-Discipline Muscles.

Working out regularly requires real self-discipline. To see results from your workouts, you need to work out consistently. By maintaining a regular fitness routine, you build stamina, strength, and flexibility. Regularly missing workouts has real consequences. You lose momentum and fall back into old habits.

The same is true in business. You need to execute activities and meet targets daily in order to build momentum, produce results, and achieve your annual goals. Work on developing discipline in your exercise routine and apply that same commitment and self-control to your business. You’ll be amazed by what you can accomplish when you set your mind to it.

2. Working Out Can Boost Your Confidence.

Regularly hitting the gym or your favorite exercise class can give you a confidence boost for two reasons. First, as you gain strength, tone your muscles, and achieve a greater level of fitness and overall health, you’ll feel better about yourself. When you walk into a meeting with a prospective client or a networking event, you’ll exude confidence. And confidence (unlike arrogance) sells.

Second, by sticking to a fitness regimen, you will inevitably reach the milestones you set for yourself and feel proud of your accomplishments. This has a domino effect—the more you achieve, the more motivated and energized you are to set higher goals and push harder to reach them. The same is true in business, which is why it is important to celebrate your victories. When you acknowledge the strides forward you have made, you build confidence in yourself and challenge yourself to reach new heights.

3. Working Out Can Reduce Stress and Help You Stay Focused.

Exercise, especially aerobic exercise, produces endorphins which are chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers and generate feelings of pleasure and euphoria. It also improves the ability to sleep, which in turn reduces stress. Using exercise as a stress management tool can help you maintain the positive attitude and energy necessary to push forward and overcome obstacles in your business.

Research studies have shown that exercise also helps you concentrate, prioritize, and block out distractions so you can focus on the task at hand. There are innumerable distractions each day that can pull us away from doing what we set out to do if we let them. Exercise helps clear away the mental clutter so you can think more clearly and energizes you to take the action steps necessary to grow your business.

4. Working Out Can Expand Your Network.

You can reap the benefits of exercise by doing solo activities like jogging, swimming, or working out at a home gym. But your fitness regimen is also an opportunity to broaden your social network. By joining a tennis club or a yoga class, for example, you open yourself up to meeting new people in your community.

I often speak to my clients at Celeste Giordano Coaching about the power of networking to build new relationships, generate referral partners, and ultimately boost sales. You never know who your next best referral partner or client will be! By connecting with new people, sharing who you are and what you do, and demonstrating interest in who they are, you build social momentum that can yield an incredible return in your business.

Invest in Yourself.

I also counsel my clients about the vital importance of work life balance. Regular exercise, getting enough sleep, eating healthful foods, and taking time to unwind are investments in yourself. The more you invest, the greater the return.

Think of a car. If you don’t fill it with the right fuel, it will run out of gas and break down. When you invest in yourself, you arm yourself with the strength, focus and confidence necessary to build a prosperous Legacy Business.

Do you exude confidence when you walk into a room? Have you got the energy necessary to execute the daily and weekly disciplines you set for yourself? Are you realizing your potential?

The ticket to success in entrepreneurship is being able to answer “Yes” to these questions.

Contact me today to learn how to achieve greater work life balance and Double Plus your income this year.

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Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “DoublePlus™” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with more than 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

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