How Exercise Helps Train Us to Do a Great Job
We've been discussing exercise and the role it can play in in our work. Today we'll focus specifically on exercising to train us to do a great job.
Whether or not you're an athlete, exercise can help train you to do a great job no matter what sort of work you do. It's pretty simple, really. When our bodies function more efficiently, we can think more clearly, work longer hours more efficiently, and more naturally generate the energy, interest, and enthusiasm that producing excellent work requires.
Of course, a few jumping jacks, while better than nothing, might not do the trick. You may have to apply yourself a bit more than that. And in case you're thinking you don't have the time to exercise, consider this: You can exercise any time during the day: morning, mid-day, evening. Everyone's different. What makes sense to me might not fit your schedule or temperament. Having tried different approaches, morning works best for me. Besides the fact that I'm a "morning person," I found that the type of work I do often precluded getting to the gym mid-day. As for the evening, that would have taken away from time with my kids, so it never really was an option. Therefore, getting up a bit earlier and carving out a chunk of time before heading for the office has generally worked best. The key here: Set aside a time or times that will allow for consistent application of whatever exercise program or regimen you choose.
As we noted in our last post, diet plays an important role here. So making sure you've got time to eat good food that will compliment both your exercise regimen as well as your work schedule will prove critical to success. Lunch provides a good illustration of this point. While the mid-day "crash" may be common for many of us, I've found (as mentioned last time) that too many carbs practically guarantee I'll virtually slip into a coma within an hour or less of my last bite. That includes sandwiches with two slices of bread. So protein and salads work better. Since not everyone's body functions the same, you have to find what works for you.
With good eating and consistent exercise now in place, you'll establish a pattern similar to what athletes follow. If you've ever known or worked with athletes, you know that - at least in season - they stick to a rather fixed regimen or eating, exercise, sleep, etc. Indeed, great athletes as well as those perhaps not-so-great, but nevertheless determined to achieve peak performance, stick to their rigid routines with little time for anything else. We can - with a little effort and creativity - incorporate this approach into our own work day.
One way to successfully pursue a serious regimen of diet and exercise might be to think of yourself as "in training." My own work week - at least from Monday morning to Friday evening - typically leaves little room for non-essential activities. (Maybe running a small business has something to do with the level of activity demanded by my job.) But if I don't stick to my schedule, work production - to say nothing of my emotional well-being - suffers. There are just too many deadlines and too much to do to meet them. So I've taken to this athlete model and it's served me well.
Of course, you've got to be willing to eliminate some things. Here's a simple example: Because of our various obligations, which include work and family, my wife and I have a lot to get through during the week, which now includes my wife staying with her elderly mother for part of the week and weekend. Our good friends, with whom we used to get together from time to time on Saturday night, have suggested a weekday night to connect for dinner. We did this once or twice, but I found that it required cutting off the work day early, as well as getting to bed later than usual, thereby impinging on the next day's work. The result: Sorry, can't do it. I don't like having to say that. I miss seeing them as much as we used to. But the family obligations are what they are. And work is what it is. Both require a lot of time and, given the demanding nature of both, a reasonable reserve of energy.
So consider the "training" model as one motivational tool to get your exercise regimen up and running. Your work and your personal life will both benefit.
As for a healthy diet, as you probably know, we're inundated with all sorts of ways to lose weight, increase our energy, etc., etc. All I can say is take the time to figure out what works for you. We're all different. Maybe no red meat, or eliminating desserts, or even vegan (heaven forbid!) is the answer for you. Only you can determine this. I've found that, with some tweaks here and there, the sort of diet I grew up on - mostly what's become known as a "Mediterranean" diet - does the trick for me.
If you find it takes some time to discover what works, that's normal. Don't get frustrated. Try different things until you find your "zone." Then stick to it, unless you find something better. The discipline will pay off over time. Be disciplined with your spiritual life, your work, your physical exercise, your eating habits. Each will reinforce the other. If your discipline hasn't been top grade to this point, start with one of these. Just pick one. For no particular reason, I found being disciplined about eating and physical exercise came naturally to me. With those as a baseline, my spiritual life and work tagged along eventually. Just stick with it.
Next time we'll look at some patron saints of exercise and eating.
Whether or not you're an athlete, exercise can help train you to do a great job no matter what sort of work you do. It's pretty simple, really. When our bodies function more efficiently, we can think more clearly, work longer hours more efficiently, and more naturally generate the energy, interest, and enthusiasm that producing excellent work requires.
Of course, a few jumping jacks, while better than nothing, might not do the trick. You may have to apply yourself a bit more than that. And in case you're thinking you don't have the time to exercise, consider this: You can exercise any time during the day: morning, mid-day, evening. Everyone's different. What makes sense to me might not fit your schedule or temperament. Having tried different approaches, morning works best for me. Besides the fact that I'm a "morning person," I found that the type of work I do often precluded getting to the gym mid-day. As for the evening, that would have taken away from time with my kids, so it never really was an option. Therefore, getting up a bit earlier and carving out a chunk of time before heading for the office has generally worked best. The key here: Set aside a time or times that will allow for consistent application of whatever exercise program or regimen you choose.
As we noted in our last post, diet plays an important role here. So making sure you've got time to eat good food that will compliment both your exercise regimen as well as your work schedule will prove critical to success. Lunch provides a good illustration of this point. While the mid-day "crash" may be common for many of us, I've found (as mentioned last time) that too many carbs practically guarantee I'll virtually slip into a coma within an hour or less of my last bite. That includes sandwiches with two slices of bread. So protein and salads work better. Since not everyone's body functions the same, you have to find what works for you.
With good eating and consistent exercise now in place, you'll establish a pattern similar to what athletes follow. If you've ever known or worked with athletes, you know that - at least in season - they stick to a rather fixed regimen or eating, exercise, sleep, etc. Indeed, great athletes as well as those perhaps not-so-great, but nevertheless determined to achieve peak performance, stick to their rigid routines with little time for anything else. We can - with a little effort and creativity - incorporate this approach into our own work day.
One way to successfully pursue a serious regimen of diet and exercise might be to think of yourself as "in training." My own work week - at least from Monday morning to Friday evening - typically leaves little room for non-essential activities. (Maybe running a small business has something to do with the level of activity demanded by my job.) But if I don't stick to my schedule, work production - to say nothing of my emotional well-being - suffers. There are just too many deadlines and too much to do to meet them. So I've taken to this athlete model and it's served me well.
Of course, you've got to be willing to eliminate some things. Here's a simple example: Because of our various obligations, which include work and family, my wife and I have a lot to get through during the week, which now includes my wife staying with her elderly mother for part of the week and weekend. Our good friends, with whom we used to get together from time to time on Saturday night, have suggested a weekday night to connect for dinner. We did this once or twice, but I found that it required cutting off the work day early, as well as getting to bed later than usual, thereby impinging on the next day's work. The result: Sorry, can't do it. I don't like having to say that. I miss seeing them as much as we used to. But the family obligations are what they are. And work is what it is. Both require a lot of time and, given the demanding nature of both, a reasonable reserve of energy.
So consider the "training" model as one motivational tool to get your exercise regimen up and running. Your work and your personal life will both benefit.
As for a healthy diet, as you probably know, we're inundated with all sorts of ways to lose weight, increase our energy, etc., etc. All I can say is take the time to figure out what works for you. We're all different. Maybe no red meat, or eliminating desserts, or even vegan (heaven forbid!) is the answer for you. Only you can determine this. I've found that, with some tweaks here and there, the sort of diet I grew up on - mostly what's become known as a "Mediterranean" diet - does the trick for me.
If you find it takes some time to discover what works, that's normal. Don't get frustrated. Try different things until you find your "zone." Then stick to it, unless you find something better. The discipline will pay off over time. Be disciplined with your spiritual life, your work, your physical exercise, your eating habits. Each will reinforce the other. If your discipline hasn't been top grade to this point, start with one of these. Just pick one. For no particular reason, I found being disciplined about eating and physical exercise came naturally to me. With those as a baseline, my spiritual life and work tagged along eventually. Just stick with it.
Next time we'll look at some patron saints of exercise and eating.
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