Go to the gym

Why are there no weight loss articles in Fortune magazine? Being in shape is an important aspect of managing your career. It is well documented that if you’re good looking you’ll make more money than an average-looking person doing the same job you are. This is because we are hard-wired to want to help good-looking people, and we’re hard-wired to want to be around them.

Before you start complaining that paying more money to people who go to the gym is totally superficial, consider this: You will perform better at the office on days you workout. Daily exercise improves your interpersonal skills and problem-solving skills.

“The results are striking,” said Jim McKenna, of Leeds Metropolitan University. “We weren't expecting such a strong improvement on productivity linked to exercising. Even more impressive was that these people already thought they were good at their jobs. Participants tracked mood, and as expected, exercising enhanced their mood. However, boosts in productivity were over-and-above the mood effects; it's the exercise”?or attitude related to exercise”?that affects productivity.”

Most CEOs exercise regularly, so you could say that regular exercise is important to getting that top job. But I have a feeling that most people who exercise do not want to be a CEO. The thing to take away from this research, though, is that the same self-discipline that gets you to regular workouts is the self-discipline that allows you to execute plans for your career and your life.

So go to the gym regularly. Or get some kind of exercise. Book it in your calendar the same way you’d book an office meeting. That time slot is done. Full. Non-negotiable. You are committed.