http://bit.ly/SVoCI5

Work-Life Balance Rule #1: Caring for Your Temple

                When I see a story like this, I’m filled with admiration for the determination that’s needed for that level of health and fitness at that age. The man in this story is 101 years old, and he’s the oldest man to ever finish an official marathon, or a 26.2 mile race.

                My father is also on the marathon path. He’s currently looking to run his very first marathon in December. This fills me with admiration as well – although there’s some annoyance as well. You see, I’m not confident that I could outpace him in a run of that length, and I do have my issues with pride from time to time.

I, on the other hand, take a more varied approach to fitness. In the years following my NCAA baseball career, I have:

• Run 6 half marathons,
• Lived as a part-time yoga instructor,
• And completed P90X and P90X2, which are 3-month fitness routines made up of a set of complex DVD’s.

While I’m certainly not intending to endorse a certain type of product/activity with this post (nor am I the most fit person in the program), I can be certain that my thinking is much clearer in the hours following a heavy workout. I also know that on the days in which I do not commit to physical exertion, it takes far longer to get to sleep at night. And in my current working environment, I need to be capable of getting from place to place in a quick manner.

Of course, with the time demand of the MBA curriculum, there is always the temptation to skip a morning workout and breakfast and go straight to school. I’ve done this before, but it’s a mistake and won’t happen often for me, if ever again – and here’s why:

Even when leaving out the aforementioned benefits, it is possible to see short term reason in sacrificing a fitness routine. The problem is that it takes about 2 weeks of consistency to make up for 2 days of skipping workouts, physically and mentally. Consistency is the key to long-term improvement, and this means making time for the things in life that are important, whenever possible.

From time-to-time, I’ll talk about this topic again – as I’m currently documenting the changes to my physical capabilities through another DVD set called Insanity. This 2-month fitness routine is a perfect pick-me-up in the mornings before classes because of its high-intensity cardiovascular focus. And the lower-body benefits are great too, as they really put forth the legwork in my classes. (Yes, I intend these puns!)

Hey! Welcome to the blog. I’m Drew Waggoner, and I’m currently in the 3^rd and final semester of my MBA experience. I’m extremely grateful that the Hankamer School of Business has given me the opportunity to blog for the benefit of the business school, and I hope that I can provide a thought-provoking, entertaining reading experience for all of the readers who frequent the school’s website.

If you continue reading this page and follow the updates, you’ll read numerous posts that focus primarily on:

• Work-life balance. I plan to document the things that go into this balance from my perspective. Of course, everyone has a differing perspective – meaning that what constitutes a “balanced life” to one will likely be different than the “balanced life” of another. Additionally, as we progress through life, those priorities (and thus, balance) will change also. It is my humble opinion that the path to self-actualization and a fulfilling life starts with this subject.
• The course-load! Hey, all of the bloggers are at school primarily to learn, and we all spend upwards of 50 hours a week handling the duties involved with our curriculum, so we will talk about it from time to time.
• Terrible puns. We all find humor in different ways, and oftentimes I’ll use wordplay to seek humor. But don’t worry; I’ll be genuinely humorous on occasion.
• Sports. I’ve been a sports fan from birth, and I was a participant through college, so there will be times when the inner athlete in me surfaces and a story piques my interest. However, with the developments in my current studies, I’ll be capable of looking at these events from a blended sports/business perspective.
• International stories. Since coming to Baylor, I’ve become more and more interested in the viewpoints of the people from other countries, all of which have led to an interest in travel. This is an unrefined desire, as the “Places I’ve been list” only includes 10 states, the Bahamas, and Japan. However, I’m fortunate enough to live in an international age where media stories that get published on the other side of the world are available through Twitter feeds and digital media outlets, so collecting these opinions is nowhere near as difficult as it used to be.

As for a creative overall title for this blog…maybe something will develop from the “Unsponsored as of yet” e-mail inbox, or something could develop from my mind. For now, it’s just a “Blog Under the Construction of Knowledge” – as is the life of every person around the world. As I continue to document events over time, I hope to continue to evolve and BUCK the trends of the past (First Pun!) while I search for the place where I’ll make my first BUCK as a post-MBA (Second Pun!!)

Okay, I’ll stop before too many lame puns find their way into this post. Anyhow, welcome! And see you again soon.