#1: Exercise
I was asked to speak at a business group recently on my “secrets to success.” I was honored, of course, but also felt a bit awkward. After all, I don’t believe there’s any one “secret” to success, so how could I speak on the topic?
I decided to give ten pieces of advice on how to attain success in business. These are ideas anyone could take away and included networking, maintaining relationships, reading, perseverance, focusing on each task, etc. Most are general and the kind of business advice anyone with experience could offer.
But not my number one: exercise.
Seems strange at first, and some people in the audience gave me a look. This isn’t your usual MBA-in-a-book advice. What does exercise have to do with business?
Plenty, in fact. Exercise is proven to give you more energy, a better attitude and more positive outlook, make your use of time more efficient, improve your memory, help you look better, and thousands of other benefits.
I can’t think of a single thing to do that will have a greater impact on your life or your business than exercising. Even if it’s just parking at the far end of the lot and taking the stairs every day, you’ll give yourself one up on the rest of the cubicle jockeys.
That’s the best piece of advice I can give you. Make something of it. And let me know how it goes.
May 17th, 2006 at 5:45 am
exercise surely does help. when i do exercise i get way more done and feel better somewhere in the middle of the week, the time i usually begin to feel wasted. i’m a coder and i work long hours, get little sleep, but if i decide to spend 15min each morning doing push ups i can fly through a week with a … a smile, i guess, just feeling lighter, floating through
i’m faced with a little issue though, i moved (from MA) to my home country, where i was born and lived about 10 years, to Lithuania. now i’m 18 and i’m being called to join the Lithuanina army, it’s mandatory here, and the conditions there really suck. but what i’m thinking is, doing a year there (you only have to do a year here) would leave me in a much better physical state. i know i’d go back to coding, but it would be alot easier to wake up in the morning and exercise - feel better like you said…. don’t know.. here i am going off on your blog here, and i haven’t even check out your work yet
but yea… exercise, defenatly
May 17th, 2006 at 6:51 am
Hi, Oleg!
Sounds like more than a ‘little’ issue, but I think your attitude is the right one. Make the most of the move, the position in the army, and you’ll get through it much easier.
My brother was in the US Army Reserves for about 8 years and called up for a tour of duty in Kosovo and then a second in Kuwait. It was a profound experience for him, and something that’s given him both a new perspective on life *and* helped him get (and stay) in great shape.
Be well,
-Eric