At the gym, after an already grueling workout, our last round was simple” Perform as many pushups as you can do in five minutes. Goal was 100 push-ups.

When our trainer said go, the guy next to me started pounding through push-ups, one after another after another. I was truly impressed. He took his first break after 30 consecutive push-ups. He was utterly exhausted and hyperventilating by 3 minutes. He only hit 86 total.

I took a different approach. Before starting, I strategized when my rests would be. I did 10 push-ups at the beginning of every 30-second block, then started again. After the first 10, I was thinking, I could easily do more. Instead, I patiently waited and rested my arms, shoulders and core.

Out of the group of 8 athletes, I was the first to reach 100 and got up. The trainer said, not so fast, five minutes isn’t over, keep going. I got back down on the floor and did another 10 push-ups.

It’s simple: Strategy over power.

Where do you power through your day then end-up exhausted and out of energy? Ever find it funny that you can crush your first four hours of work then become a zombie for the rest of the day? You’re not the only one.

Effective rest breaks, keep you energized and keep you going.

This is called Proactive Recovery. Just because we can keep going does not mean we should. If you’re in it for the long haul. This is your best tool to outperform others.

Challenge to you: How can you effectively use a one minute rest at the top of every hour during your work day?

Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day!

Lora Polowczuk

Chief Energy Officer

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