Do It Today: Overcome Procrastination, Improve Productivity, and Achieve More Meaningful Things

By April, I shifted my focus again: Get back in
shape.
So that’s what I’m doing now. And if you want to get in
shape too, it’s important to understand what you’re aiming
for. For instance, I’m 6”3 and 181 pounds. But that doesn’t
mean anything. Most common measures like the BMI are
pretty useless because they don’t say anything about your
strength. To be honest, I don’t care about measures or even
my exact fat percentage. Instead, I look at my fitness and
how it impacts my daily life. When I’m in good shape, I can:
Run 10K without stopping for rest.
Deadlift, squat, and bench press my body weight at
least 8 times.
And do at least 12 pull-ups.
What’s that based on? My body and experience. In fitness,
there’s no general rule. You must find your own goal. To me,
a person should be able to at least lift or push the same

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amount as their body weight. That helps you to function
properly in daily life. When you’re in good shape, you’ll have
more energy and focus.
Want to find your fitness goal?
Read books about fitness and health, watch YouTube videos,
talk to experts, and then create a program that’s for you—
not a 21-year-old bodybuilder. Also, you don’t have to lift
weights. Find something you enjoy and challenges you
physically at the same time. The cold reality is that if you
don’t use your strength and stamina, you lose it. But that
doesn’t mean you should neglect it. The same analogy that
Zig Ziglar once used to stress the importance of motivation
applies here:
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither
does bathing — that’s why we recommend it daily.”
So if you’re not working out every day, you’re not doing
yourself a favor. The quality of life decreases when you stop
working out. And stop looking for silver bullets to feel better.
I know, it’s not advice most of us like to hear. Exercising is
hard. But that’s the whole point! The easiest solution for a
good life is right at your disposal: Your body. Are you
neglecting it or strengthening it?

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