What does healthy success look like? - Women's Agenda

What does healthy success look like?

Raeleen Hooper, general manager, Snap Franchising Ltd. shares her thoughts on how to achieve healthy success and inspire others.

I had just completed a 12 month course straight out of Year 10 when I landed my first full time job. I remember coming out of the front door of the building after the final interview and almost kissing the ground, thankful that I was now employed. At just 17 years of age I was on top of the world, particularly when I received my first pay check. I happily paid my parents $20 board, purchased my weekly train ticket, put my savings into the bank and bought the family a Chinese takeaway.

Looking back, I think my parents and my upbringing led me to believe that my success was my responsibility. People would help along the way but as my Dad would say, ‘no-one owes you a living’. This combined with a desire to find out what I was good at and what I enjoyed doing, gave way to my very simple ethos. Like what I do, do it well, go hard, help others, have fun and healthy success will follow.

A healthy way to achieve success

Healthy success comes in many forms, it can be work promotions, a salary increase, new responsibilities, leadership, holidays, investments, family – the list goes on. What is important to one person may be lower on the list for someone else. However the first success factor that should be at the top everyone’s list is health. Without health both physically and mentally it will be a battle to reach your full potential and goals.

I find if I don’t plan time for fitness as well as time for relaxation and reflection, life’s day to day ‘stuff’ will get in the way and very quickly that sluggish, tired feeling starts creeping in. I have also noticed as I have moved into more senior roles, people rely on your leadership, which means having plenty of time to listen and mentor the team. To do this well I need to be mentally and physically strong.

It can be tough finding a health regime that fits into your busy lifestyle. Whilst time management plays a significant role in being consistent with your efforts it only really works if you make health your priority. For me, my priorities are eating fresh, short sharp episodes of varied exercise so I don’t get bored and most importantly nurturing great relationships with family and friends. If your health and relationships are strong you will find your capacity and resilience will develop and you will be able to manage your life with energy and vitality.

Staying positive and motivated

Getting into the ‘groove’ is a matter of routine, which eventually becomes habit. To eat fresh during the busy work week, takes some preparation on Sunday afternoons. Vegetables pre-cut, proteins marinating, eggs boiled and a couple of home-made tasty sauces and dressings ready to go in the fridge are a great start. Add a range of fresh fruit and most of the time the family is eating well, getting the right fuel. Then there’s an early morning speedy walk with the dog in the fresh air each day, which helps to to clear the mind and get the blood going, plus three 30 minutes of high intensity workouts followed by some stretching.

Overcoming fears

Fears come from the unexpected and having a framework to be able to decipher them and find a solution is very important. Moving through your career and life, the types of challenges and obstacles change, so having a consistent approach to solving the issues will remove many of the fears you may face.

In the end it comes down to what makes you happy and it has been proven time and time again happiness comes from having great relationships. If you spend some time thinking about the relationships that are important to you and your well-being, it will certainly make the choice of where you should spend your time and money much easier.

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