Fasting for Entrepreneurs: Have You Heard About This Trend?
Last year I began experimenting with intermittent fasting, a term used for various diets that cycle between a period of fasting and non-fasting during a defined period. Intermittent fasting can also be used with calorie restriction for weight loss, but here I’m not referring to this in connection with weight loss at all. Instead, this is a concept that may result in greater clarity and focus for your life and your business. Fasting for entrepreneurs is not new and has been discussed for almost two decades now.
Entrepreneur and thought leader James Clear wrote about intermittent fasting is his post on the beginner’s guide to intermittent fasting. Although this post is focused on the health and weight loss benefits, he also touches on the history of this not so new trend:
First, fasting has been practiced by various religious groups for centuries. Medical practitioners have also noted the health benefits of fasting for thousands of years. In other words, fasting isn’t some new fad or crazy marketing ploy. It’s been around for a long time and it actually works.
My process and ritual has been to fast at least one day each month. I cease all eating and drinking, except for water by six pm, and do not break my fast until six pm the following day. This is known as a twenty-four hour fast, but many people fast for sixteen or seventeen hours at a time successfully.
By eight or nine o’clock the day after I have begun, my mind becomes clear and I am more alert than usual. This clarity and focus is the reason I believe that fasting for entrepreneurs is such a valuable experience. And when I sit down to eat at the end of this fast I take it slowly because my body has adjusted and is not starving for nourishment. I typically start with a salad and some vegetables so as to ease back into my regular routine of eating.
And entrepreneur and author Robleh Jama writes in his article “How Fasting Makes Me a Better Entrepreneur“:
Fasting gives me less time to do work. With that said though, fasting is effective in that it forces me to prioritize and do more important things. I run on limited energy, which makes me look closer at the things that I thought were important or urgent. Not everything needs to get done right away. There are things that can wait. But when I’m eating on a regular schedule, I just tend to take action rather than think too much about my schedule.
Recently I created a short video on this topic of fasting for entrepreneurs and in it I share how beneficial it has been for me. To be able to reach this level of focus and clarity simply by fasting is definitely worth it to me. My goal is to fast once a week and enjoy the benefits of having a clear vision for my life and of my business as an entrepreneur.
Connie Ragen Green is a bestselling author, marketing mentor, and online marketing strategist, working with people and corporations on six continents to help them increase their credibility, expand their visibility, and explode their profitability. If you’re interested in getting started with the journey to online entrepreneurship and taking your life to the next level, find out more by downloading your Online Entrepreneur Blueprint and get started today.
Lori says
The results sound great, but I would be a bear if I didn’t have my breakfast, lunch and dinner, and I would have a major headache! Does water subside these issues?
Connie Ragen Green says
Thanks for your comment, Lori. It’s difficult the first time, but then you welcome the small headache because it morphs into a clarity that is a natural high. I can see everything much more clearly during this time, and actually don’t feel hungry for many hours. Once I eat even a small amount the clarity and focus dissipates and I’m back to my previous state of mind. Try it, you just might love it!
Connie Ragen Green recently posted…Fasting for Entrepreneurs: Intermittent Fasting Brings Clarity
Leo Tat says
I have been intermittently fasting for five years now. What I do every day is miss breakfast where I just have coconut oil in tea (which continues the fat burn and gives me energy). Then every two or three days, I also miss lunch too, so similar to your 6 pm to 6 pm fast. My most productive days are the days I miss breakfast plus lunch. First, it saves me time that I can use for work, and next I focus really well too. I don’t get hunger pangs at all. It’s certainly a health and time hack.
Leo Tat recently posted…Eating Avocado Is Good for You: 23 Health Benefits and Nutrition Facts
Connie Ragen Green says
Excellent ideas here, Leo. Thanks so much for your comment.
Connie Ragen Green
Connie Ragen Green recently posted…Building an Entrepreneurial Company Culture
Faylee James says
I get bad headaches when I do not eat for long periods of time. What I do is, once every ten days or so, I go without sugar products. No soft drinks, sweet tea or many other things that have sugar in or on them. You have to read a lot of labels at first but in time I know the products I can do without. I have also found this not only helps when doing my mini “dieting” but some sugar things I never go back to. Which in the end, helps my overall diet and mind clearing.