What we find is that for certain activities multi-tasking is effective, however for others it does not save time and as I will explain can cost you dearly. Things that require human contact are often important to not multi-task.

They have shown that your brain actually cannot do two, or four things at once, so you do each a little less than you would otherwise. If you are typing a report, while also checking updates on the market this might be okay and the time saved is worth the cost.

However, with human interactions quality is essential and can cost you much that you are not even aware of, such as less efficiency, the person not truly understanding what you are saying and vice versa, and a lack of personal connection that often helps down the road. So take the time with these interactions when necessary and it will definitely pay off.

If the benefits of exercise were sold in a pill, it would be worth over a million dollars. So why doesn’t everyone workout: because it doesn’t fit into their schedule or they don’t enjoy it. And often this is because people think exercising means a long time at something hard. As a professional endurance athlete and coach to some of the worlds’ top CEO’s, I know you can get all the benefits of exercise with short, beneficial workouts that with some ingenuity will fit seamlessly into your schedule.

First, think aerobic (using your heart and lungs) first, and shoot for moving 15-20 minutes, three times a week. During this workout you are going to do a key part to your plan, Intervals. Intervals are periods in your workout you go a bit harder than normal, to get the intensity up, and make a 15 minute workout have the benefit of a 30-40 minute one. An example is on a 15 minute walk at lunch, every 4th minute you pick up the pace to where you are breathing harder. This will turbo -charge your workouts, and get you fit in while fitting in your day.

Second, combine your workout with something you enjoy or are doing anyways. This makes exercise disappear and fit right into your life. For example, can you walk or bike the whole or just part of the way to work (which could be your weekly exercise right there). Many executives after the seminar we do find they have their meetings with another co-worker as walking meetings. You can ride the exercise bike while reading necessary documents, enjoying your favorite show, or reading the paper.

You can walk, jog, or ride your bike with a spouse. You can play a sport with your child, or take them on a hike which gets you into nature which gets another thing done at once. Simply walking more, taking stairs, walking to see a co-worker rather then call, parking further from the building can increase your fitness significantly.

Lastly, schedule it! When you look at the benefits of increased energy, reduced stress and more time later by doing 15 minutes of exercise, especially with intervals, and combining it with something you enjoy or also need to do, it is very hard to say you don’t have 15 minutes, three times a week in the day. The key is to SCHEDULE IT! If this is a priority for you, put it in your schedule each week and you will actually do it.

This is perhaps the most common question we hear, and the response is simple: informed choice. Most people choose the sugary or high fat snacks because they taste good and are available but also because they do not have the information they need to make the right choice. Our goal is to give executives the information they need to choose. The choice is between picking snacks that put energy into your body in a sustained way that gives you consistent, high energy, or the foods we all know that give us a quick burst and then a drop in energy and more hunger.

A food puts its calories into your body either at a slow rate (2 calories per minute) or a high rate (20-30 calories per minute). If the calories come quickly your body clears them out and you get that famous “drop” in energy.

We list in the book many snacks that have a Low Glycemic Index (which means they put calories into your body at the desired slow rate), such as almonds and other nuts, low-fat yogurt, cheese and whole wheat crackers, hard-boiled egg, and broccoli or carrots with a low fat dip. Especially when you are stressed, you want crunchy foods, like carrots or nuts, and because you are mindlessly eating, eventually with a carrots or celery, your body will say it’s done and you will have had a snack without the sugar high and resulting drop or a gain in weight.

The first career management mistake that occurs is executives who are working hard to get ahead and have financial security for themselves and their family don’t do the necessary things that get that. Because they are busy or overworked, they might not choose to take the minimum amount of time necessary to strengthen their network, and this is a huge mistake: making sure it is broad enough that if certain people leave they will still be okay.

This takes minimal time to make calls each month, however executives often don’t do it and it ends up costing them in key moments: Like not taking the time to expand your network because you want to do well and chose to put your time toward working hard, and then getting a new boss who doesn’t know about any of the work you have done because you didn’t diversify your network.

Almost exclusively the career management mistakes people make are because they are too busy, stressed, or not thinking and over look or not do the key things they need to be successful.

These things are taking breaks, having a stress management plan, not skipping taking time for reflection, or preparing for a meeting or important call, and not speaking or acting out of anger, frustration or worry. These, no matter how busy, are essential in being successful in your career and in avoiding the huge moments we often refer to as career limiting moves, which in an instant if bad enough can derail your career. You have to do what is necessary to maintain these, regardless of the time you have each day.