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Not serious about your health? Forget about being successful.

A lot has been talked about fitness and how it’s important for your personal as well as professional life. A healthier body is the only way to become a successful and happy person. Tim Ferriss wrote in his book The Four Hour Body about an occasion when Richard Branson was posed with the question,

How do you become more productive?
Richard Branson - WORK OUT.

If there is still a doubt in your mind, I would suggest going through some of these popular posts, that prove this through statistics and personal experiences -

Inactivity: Why Exercise is More Important than Ever
Why Exercising Is a Higher Priority Than My Business
3 Surprising Reasons Every Entrepreneur Needs Regular Exercise

Since most of us are aware of the importance of a healthy body, I am not going to talk about it. I am rather going to talk about that even after knowing (and probably believing in it), how easily we are ignoring it!

Last year, a friend of mine, about 28years old, was going through stress due to his work and instability in life. He called me a few times for advice and I suggested him to calmly think about it and solve it. After a few weeks, I found out that he is admitted in hospital and suffering from low blood pressure due to extreme stress. (PS: This friend was working in a startup.) After a few weeks of complete bed rest, he came to meet me and told that doctor has suggested him to exercise regularly and improve heart wellness. He took the advice seriously and started regular walks and simple strength exercises. 2 weeks down, when I checked on him, I found that he has stopped exercises and was complaining that ‘it’s not possible for him to do so much especially when he doesn’t even get time to eat regularly (he is in a habit of missing breakfasts)’. I realized that when it was so easy for him to forget the loss his illness did to him, how could I motivate him!

I don’t think a startup is to be blamed for it, we are owners of our body and health. If you are really time crunched to workout, I am sure you wouldn’t be checking Facebook, meeting friends, going to parties or movies or anything apart from work. Wrong.

I think time is just an excuse to hide laziness. Let me tell you some (funny) excuses I have heard -

Excuses excuses excuses -

1. I walk around in the office, that substitutes exercise.
2. If I go to the gym or do any physical activity, I will feel more tired and won’t be able to focus on work.
3. I am on a low-carb diet since I don’t have time for the gym.
4. I will start going to gym next Monday.
5. I started workout beginning of this year, but I got swamped with work and now no time!

You can make any number of excuses and feel bad about not being regular to workouts but the truth is that — one always has time for things that are the priority for him/her.

Myth :

I have to work 9–12 hrs a day to build a successful startup, can’t waste 45–60mins in exercise!

I feel more productive and energetic when I am regular into fitness. I can not emphasize more on How Exercising Makes You More Productive. Important is to be efficient and creative, not the amount of time you spend in the office. And if you even feel that you are wasting 1hr of your valuable time, it’s good because this way you will push yourself to make the best use of your time during the day.

If you are still reading, I assume that you are determined to change your habits. Great! Here are a few pointers to keep a balanced and more efficient day -

If you like, you can follow my daily routine (you can prepare your own depending upon your personal/professional commitments) -

1. Wake up at 7–7:15 AM
2. Have my pre-workout meal and get ready for the gym. (I do NOT check emails/whatsapp in the morning, as that delays my workout time. I only read news for about 10mins.)
3. Gym, 8:15 AM-9:15 AM.
4. Get ready by 10:15 AM and head to work.
5. 11 AM-2:30 PM - Respond to IMP emails, work on things that require more focus.
6. Lunch break for 30mins.
7. 3 PM-7 PM - Read other emails and work on tasks that are more operational in nature. I plan most of my meetings in this slot.
8. 7 PM-8 PM - Read (or write) articles, online social activities and plan for next day.
9. 8 PM-9 PM - Dinner break.
10. Go to bed at 11–11:30 PM.

I feel that being associated with a startup demands dedication and focus. A lot of us who work in a startup or own one, get into the mindset that work is THE only thing in their life. Alright (Huh), I understand the importance of work, but that shouldn’t translate into ignorance towards health. Remember, everything is subject to change in life, people, friends, work, wealth, place. The one thing that stays with you is — your body. Don’t ignore it.