Things are just things, and they are not you. Sure you need to worry about profit and loss, people and positions, your future and past, but they are not you. Neither is your relationship and family you. You are You and that all comes down to a few simple and easily maintained disciplines.

Don't buy into downers - you can't build a business or client relationships buying into downers. Learn to get over downers fast.Don't let your drive for perfection or need to get something done turn your day into desperation, nobody wants to work with a desperado... this is a really important piece of self leadership.Don't back off - Many clients have dug themselves into a hole by taking the advice of losers, who, in the face of challenge, run for cover. If you do back off and go all "retired" or "slow down" you'll rue the day, and beat yourself up forever. (conscious or subconsciously)Recognise that downers are always - that means 100% of the time, the consequence of uppers and try to credit any downer with its corresponding upper, at least you feel consoled by the balance.

B. ADAPT

When entrepreneurs are young and naive, they adapt too quick and sometimes act emotionally or spontaneously. That leads to disaster. When entrepreneurs get older they stop adapting and sometimes try to force their plans down other people's throat. They eventually burn out because they don't recognise that they don't have the energy they used to.

Work smart not hard - hard work never made people happy or healthy. Clever work, smart work and tricky work did. That means to find the most profitable way to spend an hour and do that a lot. Take a masseuse, who gets paid by the hour, that's just hard work, so their question would be how to I break out of the hourly fix on time value. Answer might be employ a few others - so in an hour twice the labour can work, or, the answer might be get paid on results, not time.Use the environment to tell you what to do. Nature is a brilliant business mentor because it's always sending you signals. Say the phone calls dry up, or your competitor starts winning jobs or you do get booked and rebooked for speaking engagements. These are different signals about when to change things and when not to. Listen to those and get your ego out of the way of the message.

C. REAL BALANCE

Don't cherry pick change - many people wait for pain, then like a fire truck come and put out the flames. That approach makes you an unpredictable person to work with and work for. It's better to go through a change cycle, a sweeping loop every-time change is needed include all seven areas of life and use the Growth Cycle I've shared previously. Don't cherry pick by fighting fires, it doesn't work long term.Invest in the future. The time to be studying first aid is not when someone is dying in front of you. So the time to study the skills you need to be the person you want to become is now, not then. Invest in mind development so you can handle the space you want to create. Are your relationship skills good enough to grow into a better love when the kids demand less. Are your business skills good enough to Deputise instead of Delegate? These investments are like gold or good Blue Chip Shares.Beware of the dumb-dumb old mode of thinking - "I'll just burn out and survive till Christmas holidays and take a break" that's the dumbest self leadership model and was ideal in about 1952. Now, everyday has to have a holiday built into it so that you look forward to today as much as you used to look forward to annual holidays. Don't delay holidays, make them daily and turn up refreshed everyday of your life. Even weekend mentality has hairs on it. Work 5 days, holiday two. It doesn't work I am telling you, that's what fries people. Good decisions Monday - bad ones Friday, "Oh, thank god it's Friday" if you hear it, run from good productivity at work.

D. DON'T LET YOUR DIRTY LAUNDRY TURN YOU INTO AN UPPER JUNKIE - DON'T LET THINGS GET YOU UP

Nobody invests in desperation but what many entrepreneurs - especially those that love the hype of Anthony Robbins Giant - Nobody these days invests in Elation either. Elation or as it's called Motivation RARA used to be attractive - but now, people know the difference between fluff, puff and happiness. Fluff and Puff are uppers and those who get addicted to them get addicted to the synthetics that sustain them (drugs, booze, food, sugar, sex, and running around like a chook with it's head cut off) - that energy is repelling. Be authentic - If you love what you do, there's no need to pump it.