Improve Productivity: Go Running
By Daniel O'Connor
One of the most important keys to
having a clear mind and operating your business effectively is this: don’t neglect your body.
More specifically, this is what you should try to do as
often as possible: go for a run.
Yeah, yeah. You’ve never liked running. You think back to those cold, miserable physical education lessons at school when it was always raining and you got a stitch and you just wanted to
go home and everyone seemed to be faster than you. But that was
then, this is now! I hated running when I was younger, too.
I love running now, and that’s not just because I’m worried about not training enough and
collapsing ten minutes after the start of my next marathon. Apart
from the health benefits, it’s the only time during the day when I’m my own man, free to
think about what I want.
During the day, there are justtoo many distractions. Email coming in.
Spam to get annoyed by and delete. Telephone calls from people
offering advertising. Coffee to make. Biscuits to eat.
There’s never a chance to step back and look at things objectively.
Running gives you that. I don’t know what the actual physiological
effect on the brain of all that bobbing up and down is, but it’s almost as if the clutter you carry around
in your head gets bounced together and solutions come to you as if by magic. I’m sometimes a bit dense, so it took time for me
to realise this, but when I stopped to think about it the other day I had to admit to myself that almost
without exception, the best and most effective ideas I’ve had for how to run my business
(and not just business; ideas for how to run my life) have come while I’ve been running. When you’re stuck in the office
staring at the mouse cursor blinking dumbly back at you, there’s just no way you can think of new and creative answers. You need to get some fresh air.
When I did the London Marathon two years ago, although I enjoyed training with running partners in
the months before the race, I was always tied to their pace and
had to, well, make conversation! You’re running with friends, so you can’t just ignore them
for two hours, right? I didn't have any time to switch off.
I run alone now and it’s a lot better, much though I may occasionally miss the company.
I can go at the speed I want, don’t have to concentrate too much on what's going on around me other than avoiding being run over, and while the legs are doing their own thing I can drift away and think about things. For me, being able to run at my own pace is
very important.
That’s also why I don’t listen to music any more when I’m out running. Why? Because when
you run to music you’re forced to listen to the songs
and subconsciously trapped into slowing down or speeding up according to the
beat of what you’re listening to. I always find myself going a little bit loopy when I can’t
quite run quickly enough for the song I’m listening to. So music's out the window. Besides, it’s
dangerous to not be able to hear what’s going on around you.
So what do you think? Will you have a go for me? Running’s cheap, you know. No
need to pay out for gym classes, personal trainers or exercise equipment. Just get yourself a decent pair of
running shoes from a reputable shop and you’re set.
You’re too old, you say? Too overweight? Don't have the time? Believe me, it’s
never too late. Don't worry about your speed, because the only one you’re racing
against is yourself. And you’ll never find time to do new things; you have to make it.
A tip before and after your run (very important): S-T-R-E-T-C-H your legs. It’ll dramatically lower the
risk of injury. Try to lean over and touch your toes while keeping your legs straight. It'll be tricky at first, but you'll get there.
Oh, and one final thing. I’m not a qualified health professional -- can’t you tell? -- so I probably shouldn't be saying
this, but one big and often unstated benefit of running for
sweetaholics like me is this: it burns off the calories like you wouldn’t believe. You can then, if you so choose, replace
those missing calories with chocolate... cake... whatever you like!
So what are you waiting for?
About the author
Daniel O`Connor is a leading business writer in the UK. See his 100% satisfaction-guaranteed site at www.daniboy.com.
He`s worked for some of the biggest companies in the world -- including NTT and Mitsubishi Electric, not to mention the 1998 Olympic Winter Games -- as well as some of the smallest.
And he can do a job for you, too.
Fluent in both Japanese and French and with a background in languages, Daniel is supremely qualified at explaining complicated things in a simple way. There`s nothing you can throw at him that he won`t have dealt with before.
Because it`s all about one thing: the words. The right words for you and your business.
Blog articles. SEO for websites. Direct marketing. White papers. Flyer advertising. You want words? Daniel O`Connor has words.
Want to try out his writing before getting in touch? Check out his daily business blog at www.daniboy.com/blog/.
Read this article in its original context at:
http://www.daniboy.com/articles/Improve-Productivity-Run.html from http://www.FreeArticlesAndContent.com
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