dispatches from the new world of work

It Adds Up!

You can't take the engineer out of the boy. I'm a numbers nut, a careful recorder of minutiae. Hence I can delightedly report that yesterday (0607) was my 365th consecutive day of exercising—I've only hit the one-year mark once before. (Averaging, according to my somewhat accurate pedometer, 5.1 miles per day of speedwalking.) (23 countries from Mauritius to Oman to Russia/Siberia; 19 states but not Hawaii.)

Now that I've finished patting—whacking—myself on the back, I'll make mention of one "little" part of the story. In the last 365 days, about half on the road, perhaps 200 flights, I have not once—NOT ONCE!—set foot on a moving walkway in an airport. I firmly believe that such "little stuff" truly does add up. (I've also, except when physically impossible, refrained from taking trams between terminals; it is in fact possible to avoid them much of the time—e.g., Atlanta, Dallas.*) (*For about a third of the year, my roller bag suffered from seized wheel bearings—adding a little extra drag to the process. I actually decided not to replace it because I thought that extra drag required a few more ergs of energy expenditure.)

Tom Peters posted this on 06/08/06.

Comments

Congratulations Tom. Mental well being aspect of exercise is vastly under rated. 25 years of 1 / day average runs for me - love that endorphin / seratonin chem. Early AM seems to burn most fat.

Just read something about northern Europe descent cave people types had no sweet foods [simply weren't there back then] - theory is that now some physio systems don't tolerate sweet well = addiction and weight gain for many perhaps.

Even tho body fat for me is 7% - I store and gain like anyone else if the routine varies.

Posted by Sean at June 8, 2006 9:06 AM

Congrats Tom. That is no small accomplishment. Had to laugh at the extra ergs! But you are right - the little things make a difference. Sort of like Buckminster Fuller's trim tab.

Posted by walter white at June 8, 2006 9:21 AM

Well done Tom and well said Sean - very envious of 7%. Don't you agree it sometimes feels a real effort to keep up the exercise regime. Managed to stick with it now for 18 months. Starting off with long walks building up to running minimum 15 k per week. My â€˜maleâ€™ family health history not good (Dad; Grandad; Uncle) all died 70 years of age or less with heart attacks. In my case donâ€™t need to be Einstein to work out exercise makes sense. Keep it up both - we need to be around for a few more decades yet - lots to do :-)

Posted by Trevor Gay at June 8, 2006 9:26 AM

Business Guru and now Fitness Guru! Tom, you truly have no boundaries. Congrats.

Posted by Mark L at June 8, 2006 9:53 AM

I am just waiting for Tom to break into the fitness video market!!!!

Posted by PaulH at June 8, 2006 10:41 AM

Trevor - hi and somehow for me it is far more difficult to NOT run 1st thing in the AM [addicted to endorphins] - am thinking tho of getting an elliptical trainer to use indoors too - less jarring than runs on the 25 & holding bones.

Posted by Sean at June 8, 2006 11:08 AM

I was wondering how Tom is able to exercise 365 days in a row, did he not miss times with
flights, or does he just (pardon the Nike pun) "do it"?
I am trying to keep up, but its hard. He really needs to put down his daily routine, its something that all of the executives that read his
column each day would love to learn. A journal of sorts, but it would be so helpful. Just a thought.

Posted by Michael Lombardi at June 8, 2006 11:35 AM

One of my favorite past times is watching folks circle around and wait for parkng places close to the door of the gym I belong to. The little things.

Posted by Bruce D at June 8, 2006 11:58 AM

Being cognisant of even the little things like choosing not to take the moving walkways in airports is great. That same level of attention paid to a business can have astronomical impact over time.

Thanks for mentioning it. Normally I just stand on the tram/subway in airports thinking about business things or - this will bug my friend Mr. Sanders - doing emails on my Crackberry.

I'm going to think about my airport time a little differently now. Don't know if it'll help me get to (Sean) 7% body fat, but every little bit counts.

Posted by tango5 at June 9, 2006 7:11 AM

GREAT Tom...23 days and counting until my first triathlon. Something about turning 55 sparked the desire to push the old body back into shape. Amazingly, I haven't dropped all that much weight, but my endurance has greatly increased. Only tough thing is finding places to swim while I am out hawking my consulting wares....Nice seeing you in London and I have to say the years worth of exercise shows...congrats

Posted by Mike Neiss at June 9, 2006 7:41 AM

I thought I was too busy to exercise. Because of you Tom now I know I'm just lazy. Thanks for revvving up my brain and my body!

Posted by Dennis D. Balajadia at June 9, 2006 8:29 AM

Hey, for a minute there I thought you were going Opus Dei on us with all that self-inflicted suffering!

Posted by Jeff at June 9, 2006 2:20 PM

First Congratulations and Thank you for sharing your story of keeping a 365 day Streak.

I wonder, why there are 'ground rules for posting comments', what so ever, on Tom Peter's blog? that kinda preach "Think Different, Think Opposite and Think wild"?

Posted by murali at June 11, 2006 9:55 AM

I'd think 7% would set off the metal detectors which are attuned to density!

Posted by tom peters at June 13, 2006 6:26 AM

Hey, I walked from the Riviera to Paris and back twice last week!

(Okay, so it was the Riviera HOTEL to the Paris HOTEL on Las Vegas Bvd, but it WAS hot outside anyway...;-)

Posted by Mike at June 13, 2006 2:56 PM

Great Job!!! From my own experience (losing over 100 lbs. in just over 1 year) it really is the little things - a salad here, a few steps there, a moving walkway skipped.

Just like getting the execution right at work, the principle applies well to nearly everything.

Keep it up - I hope to be reading you for years to come!

Posted by Jeff at June 13, 2006 3:07 PM