What Fat Loss & Work Productivity Have in Common
Back in the day, we used to think that you had to exercise at a low-intensity and a long duration in order to burn fat.
This means that unless you’re willing to start taking up jogging and eventually be able to finish a marathon without stopping, you simply don’t have a chance of ever being fit and thin.
We’ve since learned that it’s actually quite the opposite.
Fat loss more successfully occurs after short bouts of high-intensity exercise.
Well, I believe the same principle applies to work productivity as well.
So, whether you’re trying to burn fat through exercise and/or be more productive at work, this simple and game-changing (if you apply it) concept is what to keep in mind.
What you want to shoot for is high-intensity, high-quality work, followed by high-intensity, high-quality recovery.
I’ve talked before about the pendulum of work and rest – the higher the pendulum swings in one direction (the harder you work), the higher the pendulum should swing in the opposite direction (the harder you rest).
This is especially true in our age of distraction, because, let’s be honest, it’s not just the millennials who can’t focus; midlife women are now seeking me out to help them with not only their health, but also for their phone addictions.
Our phone has the unique ability to make us feel “busy being busy,” but not productive as we click in and out of our email and apps in a matter of seconds.
Yes, there’s a difference between being busy and being productive.
Being busy makes us feel like we’re doing something and makes us feel important, but in reality, we’re wasting our time.
Look, I’ve never been a runner; frankly, it’s not for me (and don’t try to convince me to like it either, I just don’t).
But many people swear by running, not because they’re seeing incredible fat loss (because they’re likely not), but because of the other benefits like freedom, solitude, exercising outside, and a personal favorite, Me Time!
Look, I get it – run for all those reasons, but if fat loss is your exercise goal, then you’re better off spending your time doing quite the opposite type of exercise – hard work, followed by hard rest.
The same is true for your professional work – focusing intently, without distraction, for a short period of time, followed by focused rest and recovery (you know, some real quality Me Time), is your best bet for being productive.
Whether we’re talking about your workouts or your work, my hope is that you begin re-thinking what it means to be productive – that you consider choosing quality over quantity.
Because the reality is that you can’t do both – you can’t work (mentally) or workout (physically) at a high-intensity for a long period of time – you really have to choose.
You can be productive, you can have more Me Time, and you can be fit and healthy without overworking and overwhelming yourself.
Yes, it’s possible – I help my clients get there, but it does require a willingness to use your time and energy differently than you might be using them now.
You can start by working on your focus, limiting and eventually eliminating distractions.
One of the most effective ways is to tweak your environment to make the right behaviors easier and the wrong behaviors harder.
If you find yourself checking your phone more than you’d like, consider putting your phone in another room.
If you need to finish a work project (that doesn’t require you to be online), then consider doing what I do when I write – turn off the WiFi on your computer, which will make it harder to get sucked into an interesting article or scrolling your social media feed to see what your friends are up to.
The alternative is to succumb to distraction, get less done, and work longer.
Instead, work and work out hard, work and work out smart, and enjoy that extra time you gifted yourself through focus and productivity.
It’s not easy, but it’s possible, and it’s available to you when you’re ready.
Like they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and neither are focus or fat-loss or productivity.
So, start small, start simple, and start ASAP – there’s no more time to waste!
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