“I need to improve my health!” I hear it all the time from my coaching clients and audience members … and then in the next breath they’ll say, “but I’m so busy I just don’t have the time!”

If you’re busy (who isn’t) I’m sure you can relate. On the path to career success it’s dead easy to justify spending more time chasing clients or writing the proposal…to work longer hours to get ahead, and then at the end of the day it’s far more appealing to hang out with friends or spend time with family than in is to hit the gym. I get it, but there’s good reason why you should prioritize regular exercise as part of your success plan.

Let me ask you this… how many people depend on you each day on the job? If you’re the business owner or team lead, you likely have people that look to you for support, advancement and a pay cheque. Even if you’re simply part of a team, or working solo, your contributions matter to someone. And outside of work I’m sure you’ve got loved ones who need and want you at your best. Take care of your health so you can be there for them.

“but I’m so busy I just don’t have the time!” (Yes, I heard you the first time)

Watch the video below or read the transcript that follows, and head to my Facebook Page to Like and Follow so you can take part in my June Goal Crusher Challenge.

Busy-ness will always be a reality. As long as you’re working full-time, or raising a family or doing both you’ll always be busy. Your inbox will always be full. There’s always going to be a list of tasks that are important and urgent that you probably need to get done right now, but the truth is, you’ll always have something on that list. It will never truly be gone…

So schedule your workout first. As a non-negotiable. Prioritize it over everything else. If you don’t, it won’t happen. And the long term consequences aren’t worth it. You can always re-schedule a client (Really. It’s not the end of the world). You can always push back that meeting or delay those phone calls by an hour, but once those exercise sessions fall off the schedule it’s damn hard to get them back on. Once you’ve skipped one workout it becomes easier and easier to skip the next ones… until you’re not exercising at all.

Without exercise your health will decline (maybe it already has?)…and when that happens productivity plummets, motivation slows, you don’t feel as good about yourself and you don’t have the energy to do things at the high level you need to be truly successful. I know it sounds depressing, but don’t shoot the messenger.  Inactivity is happening at alarming rates across North America  and it’s not good for your business or your quality of life.

Sure…when you’re busy growing your business or have a hectic family life it often feels necessary to put health and fitness into the “I’ll get to it when I have more time” category, or you tell yourself you’ll jump back in when you’re not so tired… but you’re always tired. Nothing will change unless you do.

What if I could convince you that your health is the ultimate competitive edge you have to help you rise above all the stress and make a big work-life impact!? Would you choose to re-think your priorities?

Start thinking of health as a business booster. In his book Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina tells us that regular exercise has a whole host of benefits that will make you more effective at work…and they don’t even include the obvious benefits of physical health and weight management!

In fact, if you’ve got an important presentation or meeting coming up I suggest you schedule in a half hour run or walk for that very morning. Why?

I’m sure you’ve experienced that feeling of empowerment you get after a great exercise session… so it makes sense, doesn’t it? Morning movement helps you feel more confident and in-control as you enter your day, and you can celebrate having done something good for yourself and your health right out of the gates.

Regular exercise makes you smarter, happier and healthier. It improves your self-esteem and self-confidence. Even a single bout of movement improves concentration and decreases anxiety. It increases long-term memory, attention and problem-solving. Plus, that a.m. hustle will boost your productivity in big ways. A good walk or run can increase your mental clarity for four to 10 hours post-exercise, so you’ll truly be firing on all cylinders once you get to work. Even without coffee!

Now you tell me… how much of a competitive edge will even one of those benefits bring to the work you do? And to the rest of your life?

If you’re already a regular exerciser, hold on to that priority. If you’re not, open your calendar and schedule at least three morning efforts. First thing fitness will give you a jump on all those benefits I mentioned, and your efforts won’t be side-lined by fatigue or urgent work matters that pop up during the day.

Adopt a ‘no matter what’ mindset that will get you moving when your exercise time comes up. If fatigue or busy-ness have you talking yourself out of it, remember this… it’s not the doing that tough…it’s getting to it. So, don’t skip your workout. Instead, get up and get on with it, and if it helps, give yourself permission to do less. But for your sake, do something. I guarantee that once you get moving you’ll keep moving, and end up feeling great when it’s done.

And then REPEAT a couple of days from now. Make exercise your #1 priority before all your other work day commitments. It’ll be good for you, and that’ll be good for your business.

If you want a more in-depth guide to an energetic life, pick up my book Energy Now! on Amazon or on my website!

Until next time, I’m Michelle Cederberg helping you transform your work and your life, one recharge, and one workout at a time.

 

Michelle Cederberg, CSP, MKin, BA Psyc
CEP, CPCC, ORSC

Empowering today’s dreamers, leaders and go-getters to create the life and career they want.


www.michellecederberg.com
403-850-5589

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