When were you unstoppable?
I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine about the importance of having a high confidence level. As we talked about times in our lives when we felt our confidence was at its peak we saw a pattern. There was one thing that seemed to be the common denominator in the confidence equation: We were working out.
My friend owns a medical practice and mentioned to me that when he was regularly working out (4-5 times per week first thing in the morning) he felt the most confident in himself and his skills as a Doctor. He also said that his business was kicking butt…in fact, the best it’s ever done.
The Power of a Workout
Spending a few minutes each day investing in your personal health will never fail to provide an abundant ROI (return on investment). You’ve seen the research out there that provides us with all the benefits of a regular workout routine.
Here are just a few of the many reasons why exercise is always worth the time:
- It makes you happier
- It reverses the negative effects of stress
- It improves learning
- It helps us to battle depression
- It makes us feel more confident in our appearance
- It sharpens the memory
- It improves productivity
This is powerful stuff! All these help to increase confidence! These benefits are available to us all free of charge if we are willing to make working out part of our personal & professional development plan.
The Power of Routine
Another great friend of mine owns a multi-wazillion dollar company outside of Chicago. He is full of energy, passion, and makes a lot of money. He also starts his day with a workout no matter where he is. This is his routine. Since he travels a lot there are plenty of excuses to not workout…but, he has a routine. It’s no surprise that he continues to create crazy momentum in his company year after year!
You have a routine too. It may be rolling out of bed, grabbing a smoke and a coffee while reading the paper. It may be taking a shower, eating, checking email and then leaving for work. We all have a routine each day. The most successful people I know choose their routines carefully. They live their lives on purpose.
Sticking to positive high impact routines takes discipline. It takes a desire to grow and be better. It requires us to have a true understanding of how valuable our time is and that we get to choose how to spend it. High impact routines are the key to building momentum, increasing confidence and experiencing the UNCOMMON.
Working Out is as Easy a ‘Pie’
Seeing the value of working out is easy. Implementing a regular routine is often a struggle and our workout time is often the first thing we blow off when we get busy or distracted. This is crazy if you think about it! Look at all the benefits of exercise…why would we get rid of something that could help us be so much sharper and full of energy?
It works just like food does. When you eat pie, you want more pie. When you eat fruit, you will want more fruit. When you workout..you guessed it…you want to do it more because of how it makes you feel!
I’ll close with this. Don’t underestimate the impact that taking care of yourself will have on your personal and professional development.
Confidence trumps talent.
Some of the most successful people got to the top because they walked tall and spoke with energy and passion. Why not do everything in your power to increase your confidence?
Here are a few things to help you implement a regular workout routine and in turn increase your confidence today!
- Find a time each day that you like to workout. For me, I like the afternoon when it’s hot. I also am very stiff in the morning and I like my body to loosen up throughout the day before I swing my kettle bell! This time also works for me because I do a lot of early morning networking meetings and would be blowing off my workouts as a result!
- Put it on the calendar. Schedule it. Treat it like any other important appointment you have throughout the week. This is your time to get stronger, smarter and to de-stress. It’s important.
- Set small goals for each workout. For example, I may set a goal of doing 300 kettle bell swings for my workout. It may take 15 minutes or 30 minutes. Either way, I give myself something to shoot for. For you it might be to do 50 push-ups, run 2 miles or walk for 20 minutes at lunch.
- Review why you should workout. You know the saying “Out of sight, out of mind” right? Keep your ‘why’ front and center each day and you’ll see it become a routine.
- Don’t be a wuss. If it’s raining go anyway. If you’re sore, push through it. Confidence grows when you implement and fight through perceived adversity. You have the opportunity to better yourself in so many ways. Don’t let a little discomfort sideline you!
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