Tag: Energy

Post is related to optimal use of energy.

Walking to Success

Can walking make you smarter?

   In a recent study published on nature.com, scientists have concluded that “Significant positive relationships between endurance and cognitive performance[1]”. In non-science speak, walking makes you smarter.

What does this mean for us?

   Business Minded promotes success through finding balance in our lives; strengthening our finances, careers, physical bodies, minds and spirit, our relationships, and our romantic pursuits. This further bolsters our approach, adding science to what we already knew. Finding balance in our lives helps us be more successful. As each area of our lives builds on each other, we need a holistic approach to chasing success.

What can you do?

   Fortunately, this study focuses on the act of walking, and the corresponding improvement in both walking endurance and cognitive function. Since each of us can walk (except for those extremely rare cases of physical impairment), we can easily do a couple of laps around the block to make ourselves smarter. This isn’t a rigorous workout regime, and nobody is asking you to run an ultra-marathon. In the study, participants found an increase in brain function (they were smarter) after only a 2-minute brisk walk.

What is the take-away? Simply add a walk into your daily routine.

   Physical fitness is an important part of retaining our health, energy, and vigor. Taking a walk and elevating the heart rate is an important practice for restoring our energy, especially when we start to feel lethargic and tired. The importance of this study adds to the benefits that a quick walk around the block can do, improving cognitive performance as well as restoring energy.

   In practice, when you’re starting to feel drowsy, or if you have an upcoming meeting that you want to be at your best for, try taking a walk around the block, or simply a loop around the office first.  Elevating your heart rate will help you not only remain focused, it will also make you smarter.

   If you want to experience more success in your life and career, adding a little exercise can go a long way. So go out there, make some strides towards success (figuratively and literally)!

 

Action Item:

When are you going to devote some time to walk today? Start with only 5 minutes, you’ll be smarter, healthier, and more energetic because of it!

 

[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-49301-y, Scientific Reports Volume 9, Article number: 12885 (2019)

Return on Investment, Your Investment

   Return on Investment, or ROI, is a fairly common term used when investing. Simply put, you desire a positive growth on monies invested over time. This could be interest income on a loan you made, your house increasing in value, or the stock market paying dividends and increasing in value.

 

   Now we’ll look at the other aspect of ROI, the ways we don’t commonly associate the term. I’m talking about the decisions that you make every day. The decisions that involve some level of financial, time, or energy commitment from you. These are all finite resources in everyone’s life, and while financial elements receive more attention, your time and your energy are even more scarce. And unlike money, when they run out, you can’t get more at the local store. It is this scarcity that drives the need for each decision you make to bring you a positive Return on Investment.

 

   Sounds great, right? But how does this actually look in yours and my daily lives? It’s heading to the gym when you’d rather skip today. It’s saying no to that extra beer or two to make sure you can get out of bed tomorrow without holding your head. It’s flicking the TV off a half hour early so you can read and improve your knowledge and communication. Or not putting yourself in the position to make an impulse purchase that you’ll regret later. It's checking in with the important things in your life to make sure you’re building on a strong foundation.

 

   It is these little successes every day that build into a long-term positive Return on Investment, your investment in you, your life. So go on, make the choices today that leave you wealthier, happier, and healthier tomorrow.