The Single Most Common Thing Successful People Share
I’ve read many books, listened to lots of podcasts, and have taken multiple classes about the routines of the most successful people in the world. Each person I studied has their own routine they swear by. Some read, meditate, journal, and so on. But there was one common practice I noticed that all successful people shared: exercise.
Hal Elrod wrote a great book called “The Miracle Morning” that summed up the six key practices, termed Life S.A.V.E.R.S., that he researched and discovered the most successful people in the world do every single day. In his book, Hal describes these six practices (silence, affirmations, visualization, exercise, reading, and scribing) and how to do them all before 8:00AM. I truly believe Hal is spot on with his research and I loved his book.
However, some of us don’t work regular 9 to 5 jobs. Not all of us can get up at 5:00AM and get everything done before 8:00AM. Some of us, like myself, are shift workers who work 12-hour shifts and barely get enough sleep as is. Our routines are so out of whack that some days we don’t know if it’s 8:00AM or 8:00PM! Night shift workers, especially, have no routine at all. So how can we get all six practices done every single day? The short answer is, we can’t. But what I found in my own research and encourage everyone to do every day is exercise.
Exercising is the single most important thing, aside from adequate sleep, you can do for your success, longevity, and overall wellness. Each and every successful person (presidents, business owners, entrepreneurs, etc.) I’ve listened to or read about had some form of exercise routine they did most days of the week to stay in shape. Whether that was going for a daily walk, practicing martial arts, or lifting weights, all of them attributed their success to being physically healthy.
I mean, can you argue with them? I sure as hell can’t! Think about the time when you were the most in shape or feeling the healthiest in your lifetime. How did that make you feel? What was your confidence level like? What was your attitude like? What were your habits like? How much were you accomplishing during that time? I bet just thinking about it brings a huge smile to your face, gives you a wave of confidence, and reminds you of how much you were getting done. Now imagine if you could feel that way every single day of your life!
I know, sometimes we don’t feel like doing anything. I get it. We all slip up at times and that’s ok. What’s not okay is letting these slip ups last for months or even years! Just get back into your exercise routine wherever you left off and don’t beat yourself up over it. Move on and move forward. As the amazing motivational speaker and the personal trainer for Michael Jordan and the late great Kobe Bryant Tim Grover once said, “your mind has to be stronger than your feelings.” So, when you don’t feel like exercising, go out there and do it anyways. You will thank yourself after.
Don’t make this too difficult for yourself and don’t overthink it. The more complicated your exercise routine, the faster you’ll burn out. Also, the more complex you make it, the more excuses will creep in and derail you. Lots of things can derail us, but if you keep it simple, the chances of success are more likely. I’m certainly guilty of making things harder than they need to be and I’ve had to battle some of my own inner “Resistance” (thank you, Steven Pressfield) to get myself into an exercise routine and stay consistent. I know for a fact that whatever funk I am in or experiencing at the time, exercising always pulls me out of it faster than anything else. Give it a try and I promise you will love the results. Here’s to a healthier and more successful you. Cheers!
Disclaimer: I started this blog as more of a therapeutic journal to document and share my life with others who are interested in listening. My blog posts will solely be based on my thoughts, opinions, and experiences as I work on my own path towards Mental Wealth. As I acquire new information along the way, my stance may change to reflect the new things I’ve learned. I, too, am a work in progress so please be patient, be kind, and bear with me. Thank you. - CM