Sir Richard Branson, one of the World’s Richest people, enjoys life. He owns over 400 Companies worth billions, including Virgin Airways, and Virgin Galactica, He also administers several charities and participates actively in a number of humanitarian causes. He is also one of the World’s busiest men, but claims to have a “super secret” to his productivity. His businesses range from owning an airline to exploration of outer space, to . . . You name it. His biography makes fascinating reading.
Richard Branson has been interviewed a zillion times and is often asked about his secret to getting so much done in a day and still be filled with so much energy and productivity. At age 68, he still has the energy of a 35 year-old — a healthy and fit 35 year old, that is.
He answers that question about his productivity the same way each time. He says his secret is: “I work out!”
But Richard Branson is not ordinary in his workouts. While weights and standard gym exercises are a more than occasional part of his everyday exercise regimen, he gets a little more into his daily routine than most of us. He starts his typical day with an ordinary set of tennis or a run, but then adds in a few other things, off and on, to his normal routine. Let’s see, he water skis, kite surfs, para-sails, runs, rides a zip line, and many other activities that are not only fitness producers, but are fun as well. Most of these he does at his Necker Island home. He spends much of his working time there and spends less and less time on the road. He doesn’t like offices or desks. He is a first class delegator and says he leaves his company leaders pretty much alone to do their jobs.
He’s not alone in crediting exercise for his exceptional productivity. Many other men and women in the top tiers of the entrepreneurial world credit much of their productivity to exercise. For example, Jesse Itzler is the co-founder of Marquis Jets, a jet aircraft leasing company that he sold several years after it’s creation to Warren Buffet, He is also current owner of the Atlanta Hawks NBA basketball team. Not only is he in the top realm of the entrepreneurial world, he also runs hundred mile races, invited a Navy Seal (David Goggins) to live with him for a year to help him get in better shape (and then wrote the bestseller, Living With a Seal about the experience). Oh, and by the way, Itzler is married to another billionaire, Sara Blakely, founder of SPANX, the undergarment that most women created in their minds, but that she invented and produced. She exercises too.
Another example is Tom Bilyeu, co-founder of Quest Nutrition, makers of the top selling nutrition bar in the world. Bilyeu says he doesn’t particularly like to exercise but he uses the gym in his home the first thing every morning because fitness is part of his personal identity. He wants people to understand the importance of fitness and relate it to him.
Other examples of billionaires who exercise regularly as part of their daily routine include Larry Ellison — CEO of Oracle Corporation, Sergey Brin — Co-founder of Google, Elon Musk — Founder of Tesla, Mark Cuban — Investor and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, just to name a few.
Fitness is a normal part of an entrepreneur’s mindset. It seems to go with the territory. Reading the biographies or autobiographies of many successful entrepreneurs will easily demonstrate the importance of exercise in their productivity.
Exercise should not be drudgery. Even the gym can be fun. My wife, Edie, looks forward to her two yoga and two basic exercise classes every week. She can’t do them all every week because she substitute teaches in Elementary School at age 73. That’s after a combined teaching career of over fifty years of regular teaching and as an active substitute. Like most good teachers, she keeps moving among the kids, constantly interacting with them. She rarely sits down. That requires a lot of energy and that energy comes from somewhere.
The point is that physical exercise will increase your personal productivity. For most seniors, it can be a useful and fun experience. It doesn’t matter where you do it — just do it. Make it a regular part of your day.
And you don’t have to wait until you’re a billionaire.
Thank you for reading.