By Lisa Singh
As an advisor, you’ve probably faced your share of nos from prospects—that’s just part of the business. But here’s a sure-fire way to start your day off with a victory: Go for a run. Seeing this challenge through will boost your self-esteem, lower your stress and give you that extra push to take on the day. And make the next sale.
 |
| ON THE MOVE—David F. Woods, CLU, CHFC, LUTCF, stays fit and active by running most mornings, here by the Reflecting Pool near the Washington Monument. |
That’s been NAIFA CEO David F. Woods’ philosophy on exercise for the past 40 years, and at 70, this former MassMutual agent (and cool F-86 jet fighter pilot) isn’t about to hang up his Nike Air Pegasus sneakers. Or to stop jogging five miles a day, nearly every day of the week, come rain or shine, flu or sore knee, business trip or no business trip. Has he ever missed a week? “Don’t think so,” says Woods, in a soft-spoken, unassuming tone. But, he confesses, because of travel he “only” put in four days last week.
Self-discipline, success and you
“When agents ask me what it takes to succeed, I always say, ‘Self-discipline.’ … It’s easy to do what you want to do, harder to do what you don’t like,” says Woods, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, an MDRT member since 1970. “That first quarter mile, it ain’t fun,” he says. What drives Woods is a “mind-body-spirit” approach to life. “If any one of those three is out of balance, then the other two can’t compensate,” says this CEO, LIFE president, husband, father of four and grandfather of eight.
He adds, “Here I am, 70, and I don’t ask if I’ll be running at 71, 72, 73 … I just think, ‘If I can run tomorrow, that’s all I care about.’”
Exercise, getting started
Interested in getting started yourself—and upping the chance that you’ll stay sharp and active through the years? Then check out Woods’ health and exercise dos and don’ts:
- Make the commitment. “You’ve got to get yourself to the place where you really want to do it,” says Woods. Before he ever got into running, Woods was an avid tennis player but also a pack-a-day smoker, a habit he picked up as a teenager and continued for the next 12 years. Then, in his late 20s, he found himself getting a little too winded after just a couple of sets of tennis, so he gave up smoking. His self-discipline kicked into higher gear when he had lunch with a client, a lawyer in his early 30s. The man told Woods he ran five miles a day, every day. Woods knew that running would beef up his cardio vascular strength. Plus, unlike tennis, he wouldn’t have to rely on a partner. “I told myself that I would never have an excuse good enough to keep me from running,” says Woods.
- Decide on a sport you’re comfortable with. If it’s not running, maybe it’s yoga, tai chi, kickboxing, tennis or lifting weights. “Whatever you think you can do on a regular basis,” says Woods. “Also, get good instruction.”
- Start slow. When Woods started running, he said, “I’ll commit to this a year and see what happens.” Granted, that commitment led to some interesting moments, like the time he and his wife got home from a New Year’s party at 1:30 a.m., and he slipped on his sneakers to go for a run. But, by and large, Woods has kept up a measured approach from the get-go. That first month, he ran one mile, then slowly built up to two, three, four miles at a time. By the ninth month, he was running five miles nearly every evening. By the third year, he switched to running in the mornings, a routine he still maintains.
- Eat the right food. Woods eats plenty of vegetables, drinks plenty of fruit juices, and stays away from fats, refined sugar and red meat (except veal, occasionally). Also, he goes light on carbohydrates, and eats a lot of fish, like salmon, and chicken (not fried). He sticks to one beer a night and a chocolate chip cookie, one at lunch, the other at dinner. “Fortunately, I eat to live, I don’t live to eat,” says Woods. Make sure, he adds, that you wait two to three hours after a meal to exercise.
- Stick with it for 33 days. “Somebody once told me that if you do something for 33 days straight, by the 34th day it will be harder not to do it,” says Woods. So, he says, commit to the sport for 33 days; you’ll be surprised how quickly it’ll become a regular part of your day.
October 2006
Voicemail Etiquette 101
Can We Call a Truce?
The Best Time to Ask for Referrals
|
|
