Getting the balance right

The great thing about Switzerland is that the sun gets up a bit earlier and sets a bit later than in Denmark. The bad thing is that it doesn't matter because you are anyway in a classroom from 8 to 17.30 every day. Today was a bit different as we were released an hour early. I used the opportunity to dig out my running shoes and go for a jog for the first time since I arrived two weeks ago. The mountains around Lausanne are absolutely no fun for a Dane, so I ran the only flat stretch in the city, which is along the lake. I am by no means a natural runner, but I have been running for many years now as I always have found it the easiest sport to fit in with a busy schedule. You are to a large degree independent of time, space and other people. All you need is a pair of running shoes and you are good to go. As a bonus you get to know the area that you are in. Today I discovered that I live 300m from the Olympic Museum. The museum is in Lausanne as the International Olympic Committee has its headquarters here.

It was so rejuvenating to get some fresh air in the lungs and let the body work, while the head for once could take a rest. It is amazing what a difference it does to your mental health. The time spent getting some regular exercise come back plentiful in terms of increased motivation and efficiency. The same goes for sleep, if you ask me. The more we cut back on sleep to get things done the more inefficient we come, and the less we sleep..... and so goes the vicious circle. I don't think I am giving away any secrets when I say that most major MBA programs are built around the notion that the students must be loaded up with more material and tasks than they ever can handle unless they develop smart and efficient ways of getting things done. The IMD MBA is no different. So why is exercise and sleep the first two things we cut away when we get busy. It is definitely not efficient. The funny thing with time is that when we have it, we use it, but when we don't have it we get things done anyway. With that in mind I have promised myself to keep a proper balance this year and to keep exercise and sleep in the equation, when I do my priorities. It is much easier said than done, though, and so far I haven't done very good on this point. I guess this is one (of many) reasons that an MBA is something you need to LIVE and not just read about.