Train for Success...In Your Career & In Life

An excellent article from Harvard Business Review suggests that "endurance, strength, flexibility, self-control, and focus" are just as important as strong cognitive skills in achieving an "ideal performance state" at work. While the article is from 2001, there is nothing outdated about the theory.

Rituals and healthy habits (working out, eating a healthy diet and getting enough sleep) allow us to oscillate between sharp focus and periods of recovery, which is necessary to avoid burnout and to provide room for inspiration and creativity.

Positive thinking, music, meditation, visualization and having a strong spiritual foundation are all part of the strategy. 


When it seems as though there are not enough hours in the day to tackle all the tasks on your list, it may feel counter-intuitive to make time for exercise, 10 minutes of deep breathing or for a walk out in the fresh air; however, allowing your mind and body to recharge may be exactly what you need to return to your work refreshed, making for a more efficient, more productive, and more fulfilled version of yourself.

Give it a read and consider how a little strength training - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual - may lead to vast improvements in your performance, at work and in the bigger picture of your life, overall:

The Making of a Corporate Athlete by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz - Harvard Business Review, January 2001

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net / imagerymajestic

An excellent article from Harvard Business Review suggests that "endurance, strength, flexibility, self-control, and focus" are just as important as strong cognitive skills in achieving an "ideal performance state" at work. While the article is from 2001, there is nothing outdated about the theory.

Rituals and healthy habits (working out, eating a healthy diet and getting enough sleep) allow us to oscillate between sharp focus and periods of recovery, which is necessary to avoid burnout and to provide room for inspiration and creativity.

Positive thinking, music, meditation, visualization and having a strong spiritual foundation are all part of the strategy. 


When it seems as though there are not enough hours in the day to tackle all the tasks on your list, it may feel counter-intuitive to make time for exercise, 10 minutes of deep breathing or for a walk out in the fresh air; however, allowing your mind and body to recharge may be exactly what you need to return to your work refreshed, making for a more efficient, more productive, and more fulfilled version of yourself.

Give it a read and consider how a little strength training - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual - may lead to vast improvements in your performance, at work and in the bigger picture of your life, overall:

The Making of a Corporate Athlete by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz - Harvard Business Review, January 2001

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net / imagerymajestic