I recently had the pleasure of working out with four time champion of Mr. Universe, Mike O’Hearn. I know what you may be thinking, what do fitness and business have anything to do with each other? Well, a lot more than you might think, as I learned from Mike.

We’ve all heard the old cliche, “work smarter, not harder.” That is something that Mike believes in strongly and has implicated in his everyday life. For example, his time at the gym. Most people think in order to achieve the level of fitness and aesthetic that Mike has, they need to dedicate multiple hours a day at the gym. The reality is that if they use the work smarter, not harder mind set, they can limit their time at the gym to an hour. Mike says that sometimes his work outs are even under an hour because he focuses on the most important things such as diet and the types of exercises that will maximize his results. Huge physical success doesn’t have to come from overexerting yourself.

Mike’s other tactic is using association to overcome bigger obstacles and reluctance to do things. He is consistent in his strive for success even if it is not always convenient. When it comes to his diet, he is firm on eating six meals a day, and has done so for the past 40 plus years! Is it always easy? No, but he looks at the bigger picture and knows that all of this will lead him to the success he is after. He associates these meals with his goals and overcomes the inconveniences.

Translating this back to business, there are multiple aspects of business that aren’t easy and are at times annoying. Take phone calls for example, as someone working in real estate, that phone might be glued to your hand for hours upon hours, and that is definitely not always fun. Those phone calls though, all add up to you possibly making a sale, or a connection that leads you ultimately to the goal you were reaching for. Instead of looking at those phone calls as a daily annoyance, associate them with the bigger picture. Associate them will more opportunities to help the greater good or to make more money or both! Whatever you want it to be.

The most important part of all of this is your effort. Whatever your goals may be, you must put 100% towards that pursuit and be willing to endure the obstacles. By using the mechanisms of working smarter and using association you will be that much closer to accomplishing your goals, but being consistent with your efforts to achieve them will prove to be the most important. If you are consistent, you will be successful!