On the surface, your personal fitness and your career appear to be two completely separate and unrelated things. After all, what does that last set of deadlifts have to do with getting the TPS reports to Bill Lumberg on time?
That said, the relationship between fitness and career success is a lot stronger than most people realize. They both stem from one simple concept: Progress.
Advancement in your career and the improvement of your physique both stem from the continued performance of a series of small efforts repeated consistently over time. If you plan effectively, these small efforts will form the rungs of a ladder that allow you to climb to the top. Here are five simple tips to help you do just that:
More: How Exercise Boosts Your Brainpower
Figure out What you Really Want
It's great to tell yourself that you want to be a nurse's aid or a bartender for the rest of your life. But what is it you're really after? Do you enjoy every single second of every day you spend doing your job? Do you get excited when you wake up in the morning and it's time to go to work? If not, you're in the wrong line of work.
More: Defining Your Goal
Do you get amped up when you think about going to the gym each day? If not, you're doing it for the wrong reasons. You need to find something you enjoy, an event to train for, or another reason to get excited about getting in shape.
Play the "5 Why's Game"
Whether you're focused on fitness or your career, your actual motivations are generally not the same as the reasons you tell people you're working towards your goal. It's common to not actually be conscious of this, so this exercise can help you to get some clarity and identify your motivation.
