Last month, Tyler Tervooren posted an article titled, Why Productive People Always Have Time For Exercise. You can go read it, it’s good. But I didn’t—at least, not at first. I noticed the title. But because I was in the middle of something, I was left with only that.
The question was left for me to ponder alone: Why do productive people always seem to have time for exercise?
As the question remained in the back of my mind, it led to even broader questions: Why do productive people always seem to have so much time for everything they do? Are they working harder? Better at time management? More disciplined than the rest of us?
I was left to ponder the question for several hours. I looked up the original article as soon as time allowed.
In it, Tyler makes the wonderful case that productive people find time for exercise because they tend to be more intentional about taking care of their physical bodies. Like a tree-cutter taking time to sharpen his saw, productive people make time for exercise because it helps them be their best.
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe,” is a quote often attributed to Abraham Lincoln. He knew the importance of sharpening his saw.
And believe me, I agree. I have found this to be true. Intentional physical exercise and healthier eating habits have been an important addition to my life over the past few years. But interestingly, that is not where my mind immediately raced when I was left with only the title.
My mind offered a different conclusion: People who love the life they live find more time to live it.
You see, and I stand as proof of this, the more we experience joy in life, the more we can’t wait to get up and start living it. On a very small scale, compare the worker who hates his job and the one who loves it.
The man or woman who hates his work scowls at the alarm clock, rolls out of bed with frustration, takes his time getting ready, mopes around the office, counts the minutes to 5pm, turns on the television when he gets home to distract himself, and then goes to bed late only to repeat the cycle tomorrow.
On the other hand, picture the man or woman who enjoys their work. She can’t wait to get started in the morning, she prepares her body with healthy food and exercise to accomplish her best, she invests proudly into her work, and returns home with energy. And then, she can’t wait to get started again in the morning.
People who love the life they live naturally find more time to live it.
Personally, I want to live a life that doesn’t require an alarm clock—one that I can’t wait to wake up and start living each day.
Does exercise result in more productivity? Absolutely. But only a man or woman who takes pride in their life and their choices desire more productivity for it.
Tyler wrote an important piece. If you skipped over it the first time, go read it now.
As you do, ask yourself this question, “Am I living a life that energizes and motivates me to even sharpen the saw in the first place?” And if the answer is no, what changes do you need to make in order to make that a reality?
Most often, implementing the change requires the intentional removal of something holding you back from the life you desire. Sometimes it is a commitment, a negative thought, or an un healthy habit. For me, it was the excess possessions that were robbing me of time, energy, and money.
Identify the nonessential. And remove them entirely.
Because the first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t. (tweet that)
Further Reading
About Joshua Becker
I love this. It reminds me of Seth Godin’s quote, “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” This is why we sold all of our belongings, packed five carry-on bags, and set out to see the world with our three kids in 2013. Do we work? Yes. But our days are framed by the sunrise and sunset and our desire to jump out of bed and see what the world has in store for us! Amazing article. Thank you.
One day I wake up, and out of the blue I googled: How to live a simple life and luckily I found this website. Thank you :)
Loving my new outlook on Life. Keep what u love, get rid of the rest.
Will be spending time with family members who will never understand this concept. I know a few will be trying to dismiss my happiness, ridicule my belief that less is more, obsess over their possessions.
People still believe only way to show that you suceeded in life is fancy cars in driveway, four car garage full of stuff, and big house.
Meanwhile husband and I r enjoying experiences, spending less time cleaning and maintenance on our modest home cuz we decluttered.
Our big project and purchase of summer is a 35 year old pop up so we can camp longer into season. It will hold all we need.
Funny you should mention the alarm clock. When I left the Corporate World 14 years ago that was one of my measures of success – to not wake up by an alarm clock. Been living that way for many years now and it is blissful to just wake up naturally every day and step into the day at whatever pace feels right that day.
May I ask what caused your transition and what your vocation is now? I have tried everything to focus on me despite the circus and rat race that is my J.O.B. Now I’m forced to take a month off. Dr’s orders. Thank you for your insight.
Wow. This hit where it hurts today. I am totally miserable with my life. I am a stay at home mum of 3. I am living overseas in a country which speaks a language different from my own. I am here cause it is my husbands dream. I have spent so long following the dreams of others I don’t even know what I would want to do anymore. I dont have a clue what makes me happy. Let alone what type of life I want to live. Gosh how does one move forward from here?
Hello Yvonne,
I have just read your comment and though almost a month later, I felt compelled to respond.
I can really feel your pain. As I’m just two years into my minimalist journey, I’m definitely far from an expert! This does not bother me though as I am enjoying the journey. While I have no spouse and I live only with my cat as my children are now adults and living their own lives on another continent, I was very unhappy with my life and found myself so overwhelmed by how many changes I needed to make in order to improve it, that for many years I actually did nothing!
If you haven’t already done so, then may I suggest that you start simply by looking through some of your personal belongings and get rid (Donate, Sell, Bin) of those which you feel you could really do without. I’m pretty sure you will find a post on this site with tips on how to do this. Start small, for example, with a drawer. I found that, at the same rate, this started to clear my mind of clutter also, which helped me to start seeing what is important to me and what I needed in order to be happy in my own skin, and therefore, in life.
Though I still have a fair way to go, two years and 5 house clear-outs later, not only do I notice a huge increase in my self esteem but family, friends and acquaintances have positively commented on my increased confidence, strength, and even height! (despite not wearing heels).
Give it a go and see what happens, there are fantastic blogs/communities to help you along the way.
Warmest wishes for you,
Tammy.
That unfair comment made me sad. I am so grateful for Josh and his website and blog. I have found your advice and thoughts an absolute life-changer. Why do people feel they have to criticise people whose stance is different to theirs? It takes time to write a post – why don’t people spend time pursuing the things they DO believe in?
I am with Maureen: I too, in my early 40s, got rid of people I found difficult to tolerate. That was actually the beginning of minimalism for me. Since that time, I have gotten happier. In fact, we got so happy that we had two babies in the span of 24 months. Life is much better now. Because we are minimalists, we have much more quality time with family, without all the extraneous things that distract, and paradoxically, make us unhappy.
Productivity is much higher these days. We are producing better fruits.
Wow, I have been reading this blog for awhile now and I love most of it. I have a strange relationship with minimalism, I do think it is a better way to live. To each his own. My way is different than others that have posted here. Chris, why on earth would you come on here and attack this author this way? If you do not agree with his views that is great, do not read it, and do not post. Go start your maximalism site and see how successful you are. No need to lash out at a man putting out good, peaceful information that many people enjoy reading and adapting to their lifestyle. I hope you just had a bad day, Peace my brother.
Joshua, you rock! ;)
Most of this minimalism stuff is nonsense. You have decided to make yourself a career based on simplistic notions. The fact that you are writing and updating a blog is not of minimal effort itself as you could make more money working a few hours in your local pub. In reality, the blog is an ego trip that assumes people agree with your lifestyle – almost as if you are reaffirming your own insecurities.
Minimalism is as old as time began and you are re-circulating the same old crap as most philosophy types do. I live in a house full of junk and i love it, it is full of colour and represents all of my interests. 20 pairs of shoes and 20 coats is not a problem to me. Oh, maybe i should make a career out of writing about ‘maximalism’ which has as much meaning as ‘minimalism’ . This is surely not a life existence for you? to devote a whole life to analysing pointless arguments about nothing.
Interesting analysis Chris. There is a reason philosophers and spiritual guides and writers return to the notion of simplicity over and over again. It is important. And as a whole, we often need to be reminded of it.
All a matter if perspective, whatever works for that person, is what is right for them..
I personally am thankful for your posts, it keeps me focused. In a country obsessed my materialism, I could feel what mattered to me and my soul slipping away…always had mind set that I just needed to work harder on keeping it all organized and cleaned…an almost impossible task. Also taking away what is most precious commodity of all, Time.
Through growing older and reading posts like yours and others, it has helped focus my thoughts. I am far from those minimalists that only have 100 items, as I feel like that is not freeing to me. But am parting with all that isn’t precious or useful.
As all the previous commenters have noted, this really struck a chord with me. As a recent college graduate, I just started my first 9-5 and am trying to gauge how much time I’ll be able to allott to personal endeavors, my blog, relationships, and so on and so forth. Culture tries to convince you that there will be little to no time left for that by the end of your day and even the end of a long week. I love this idea that we get more done in every aspect of our lives if we pour into our personal interests and passions.
With it, I plan to keep up exercise and tackle a little bit of writing every day. Setting the intention is the best start, so thanks for the inspiration!
Right this minute – I am! I moved to Bondi Beach and starting running so I could get fit and appreciate my new surroundings. I went from running 0.5km (getting breathless) to running 5-7km several times a week, spend time meeting up with friends and prioritising writing; your sentiments are very true!
I exercise regularly and whenever I find myself missing to exercise for a reason,I feel my body become weak and I get lazy.But as soon as I am back to exercising,my mood changes and I have more energy to do things.I always tell people that exercise is like my medical insurance because it helps me stay away from hospitals and sickness.
Great post and I thought about this quite a bit today while on the treadmill.
I have been exercising regularly for many years, but if pressed, I would tell most people that I don’t “love” exercising (perhaps with the exception of easy runs in cool weather, which I do love). What I “love” is that it keeps me healthy so that I can enjoy life itself. As with most things in life, there is a trade-off to be made. I am giving up an hour or so a day, or 7 to 7 hours a week, to try to keep myself fit. Sure, I can easily trade that time for something else, such as watching TV, reading, doing house projects, etc. But those 8 hours (which is a pretty big chunk of time) is an investment in “me” (and in my marriage and in my family as well) that has a big payoff. I want to travel with my wife, and one day be able to babysit grandkids, and be able to continue to share, learn, and grow.
To enjoy life, I need to be able to be active and healthy, and that just makes good, simple sense. Small investment of time for a big payback in life…
Michael
“Am I living a life that energizes and motivates me to even sharpen the saw in the first place?”
I am :) . I am studying, working full time, raising a family, exercising & reading. I am really busy but there is value in all of it and I am into it.
This article resonated – thank you Joshua!
One of my favorite books to read is “How To Get Control of Your Time and Your Life-by Alan Lakein.”I’m a procrastinator and trying to be productive in so many ways and I’m having a hard time with my time management but with discipline and proper planning,I think I can do it.Crossing fingers here!
I love this post. When I look at my life I see so many nonessentials I could take to create a better life. My “real” job is one of them. I would love to someday trade my “real” job in for one that I want to wake up for and go to every day. I working toward it, but just need to take the leap.
Self-care needs to be absolutely non-negotiable. I’ve found that when I make it a priority to eat well, get enough sleep, and exercise, I spend a LOT less time on the tasks I “need” to get done.
Here is a post I wrote about time management and decluttering your schedule: http://www.onlinetherapyandcoaching.org/blog/2015/5/10/declutter-your-schedule
I LOVE these words…
“Identify the nonessential. And remove them entirely.
Because the first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.”
Wow, I just find so much inspiration here. Can’t thank you enough for sharing what God puts upon your heart. :)
This was on CNN’s site this morning:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/18/asia/china-families-belongings/index.html
It’s humbling to realize that I, who live alone, have far more than these families of four or more, even though I’ve already let go of a lot. It may not necessarily be conscious minimalism on their part, but somehow these people are living their lives without half the stuff we Americans assume we need. Some of them are quite well off by Chinese standards, but they still haven’t surrounded themselves with mounds of things.
“Am I living a life that energizes and motivates me to even sharpen the saw in the first place?” And if the answer is no, what changes do you need to make in order to make that a reality?
Recently I returned to work after a “mere” 23 year gap! Raising/home educating my four kids was indeed a job I LOVED, but as I approached the end of that season in my life {my 2 at home will graduate next spring}, I found myself kind of freaking out!
WHAT was I going to *do* post parenting???
Way back in the stone-age….or before I became a stay at home parent, I worked in NYC as an office manager. I really did not WANT that much responsibility again. After all, I just spent 2+ decades managing four lives, a successful 26+ year marriage, and the household that came with it!
I wanted something simply, but fast-paced to go with my personality!
I was offered the very first job I applied for and to some, it may seem like a “go nowhere” job. At 50 years old, did I REALLY want to restart a second time around career?
After much contemplation I realized the answer to that was a resounding NOPE :).
Still, I didn’t want to spend all day at home with nothing to *do*.
I took the job at a large, dare I say “upscale” grocery store…in their prepared foods department of all places. As if I didn;t pend enough time cooking for others :).
But after 4+ months I can honestly say “I LOVE IT”.
On workdays I do not find myself grumbling about the day ahead…the people, atmosphere, even the pay, are all positive.
Is this a great “career” move? Some would say no. But I say it IS awesome because I love going to work. It is busy, upbeat, fun, and the interaction I have with the customers has been 99% positive as well.
I know there will be days, after the honeymoon phase, where I may want to call in and stay home, but at the moment I can say I am energized by this work.
Since my household has been kept pretty minimal by most American standards, the time it takes to keep up on the general home/house care is quite “doable” and takes just a few hours each week. THIS has definitely removed much pressure people feel when they have a HUGE house to care for PLUS going to work 4 or 5 days a week!
I would encourage anyone that might be headed back into the workforce {after whatever reason for the gap} to consider even the most obscure or odd opportunities because these might just be a better fit than you think :).
Once again and very thought provoking article!
That is fantastic Donna!
I too have a job in a newsagents and grocery store. It takes me 3 minutes to walk there from home! I love meeting the customers both young and old. I have a degree and so am well over qualified for the job but hey that doesn’t matter cos I enjoy it! I’m using my ‘minimalist skills’ to make the shop more efficient too!
One great advantage to living “a life worth waking up for” is that you have more energy to spend time investing in your family. Lately, I’ve tried to incorporate valuable and simple moments with them on weekdays after work – activities such as going to the park or picking strawberries. There is no reason everyday can’t be a day in which we look forward to our pursuits and engage in activities that bring us energy.
Hi, Love your writing. I do not understand the last sentence of the tweet.. Is there a word missing after “don’t” or am I supposed to fill in the blank? Blessings, Susan
The word “want” as in “get rid of everything you don’t want” is left off on purpose. I didn’t feel it was necessary in this sentence.
This is such a great perspective. Often we struggle to work harder or get better at something, without wondering if that thing is inviting or inspiring to us.
Working from home does gives me the option of waking up without an alarm clock. It’s much easier during the summer because the birds start singing before 6am. Then the cats start to move around and before you know it, I’m awake. However, I still want to stay in bed during the winter. My feet just do not want to hit that cold floor!
I love these insights – both yours and Tyler’s. My husband and I have been very intentional about developing a habit of exercise, something we maintain even during unpredictable travel. It’s become a part of who we are. We prioritize it because we know being healthy and active will help us live fuller lives now and in the long-term.
I had a similar conversation last week about some rappers. When they become successful many begin to stop engaging in some of the risky behaviors they rap about.
They begin to exercise, eat better and some become vegetarian. As they first begin to enjoy life better do to monetary success they now want to live longer and explore life’s other joys.
When life becomes enjoyable and you love waking up early everyday to get started, you do things that are known to prolong that life..
This is a very inspiring post. Thank you! I totally agree and I began living this way in February 2015. I started de-cluttering my home and I am working on my habits and attitude. Life is feeling more alive and wonderful. Following your post is part of my healthy/minimalist lifestyle, and I love it.
Great post! This is exactly where my thoughts have been lately. Especially on making sure I am doing work that I am excited about each day. I think your closing line is going to become my new motto.
Hi Joshua! :) I’m recommitting myself to live more intentionally. I get lax about things from time to time.
This is so true! I find great joy in my life right now and love waking up in the morning, but there was a point a few years ago that I absolutely hated my job and hated facing the day. I quite literally would count down the minutes until I could end the day. Looking back now, it was such a waste of precious time and LIFE. Once I realized I could no longer go on that way, I started feeling so much more alive in general.
Did you leave the job or did you develop a better attitude about it?
I like this. And it’s so true. I am slowly getting rid of things I don’t love (possessions, commitments, and so on) while expanding what fills me with joy. Life is simple, and good.
I had never heard that quote before. I am doing a lot of tedious preparation for an upcoming cross-country move, and that AL quote definitely helped shine a little light. Thank you for another inspirational post :)
I’ve actually started front-loading my days with what I enjoy most so that I’m more motivated to wake up early. And, it works! Instead o rolling out of bed at the last possible minute and dragging myself to work, I spend a few hours at home in the mornings writing and enjoying a leisurely breakfast with my husband. It gives the day a positive tenor and I find I look forward to those morning hours the most!
All the stuff in our lives that we don’t want are called tolerations, or things we tolerate. I spent a good part of my early forties getting rid of the all the tolerations in my life, including people. You know the kind, the ones that suck the life out of you. When you’re tolerating, you’re not living your best life because you energy is being spent on the tolerations. And as for an alarm clock, I haven’t owned on since I was in college.
Ah, Maureen, great comment about letting go of the people in your life that drag you down, suck you dry, make you feel lousy. There’s a quote about how you will never remember what someone did for you, but you’ll always remember how they made you feel.
So true Lori and I’m happy I don’t have to remember them or how they made me feel.
I wrote about this a while ago here… http://lifeandotherweirdtales.blogspot.gr/2014/02/the-extra-hour.html
Then I had two kids and I expected my life to get swallowed up and my time too. Well, I have just finished my first book, have managed to secure a publisher and manage to do most of the things that really matter to me. Do I ever run out of time? Yes. Is my house not as clean/tidy as some would like? Yes. But I have happy kids, and I am happy to wake up and start my day!
Once more, beautifully said!
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”
I was thinking about the same quote today.
At the swimming pool, I’ve practiced flutter kick for the 30 mins. And then did freestyle swimming for only 5 mins.
It was more perfect and relaxing than ever before.
I think you will find this video interesting. It is about capitalism and drug addiction.
http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2015/3/11/johann_hari_naomi_klein_does_capitalism
Great insight there. Interesting thought that if you love your life, you take the time to exercise. Usually people think it works the other way around. If you start exercising, you’ll enjoy life more and become happier. But in order to be able to start excersising and be more productive, you need to make the time to declutter your life first. I like it.
Yes.
I just realized that. Four more bags went out today. I’ve given away 10 boxes of books…classics… Religious books …ones I never,ever thought I’d part with. I feel happy thinking that someone will enjoy them like I did.x
Thank you for this comment. It has helped me in some way.
THANKS For your post. Can you please tell me how you let them go? I’m really struggling with the books. ..mostly because some are really expensive ..I’d appreciate your thoughts. :)
I absolutely agree with that, while observing my habits, productivity as well as the progress on my goals, there’s always a clear conclusion I can draw, namely, cover your essentials and everything else starts to fall into place. When I eat healthy, stay physically active and sleep enough, I know I’m prepared to achieve so much more and I actually do!