FEATURES

Wise Stuff...

Friday, 16 June 2017 23:10

By Brad Stuhlberg & Steve Magness (outsideonline.com)

Michael Joyner, a physician and researcher at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minneapolis, is one of the most productive humans alive. Joyner, an expert on physiology and human performance, has published more than 350 scientific articles, was recently named the distinguished investigator at the Mayo Clinic, and was awarded a grant through the Fulbright Scholar Program. In addition to his research, Joyner, an anesthesiologist by trade, sees patients regularly and is a mentor to countless up-and-comers, informally running what he calls “my own version of a Montessori school.” He writes for Sports Illustrated and is frequently cited as an expert in other leading publications. Joyner, who’s 58 and married with young kids, is also still a dedicated athlete himself, completing near-daily 60-to-75-minute workouts....

Joyner doesn’t have a special genetic mutation that gives him endless energy, nor does he work 12-hour days. Instead, he has deliberately designed not just his days but, really, his entire life, around eliminating distractions and extraneous decisions. For example, he protects dedicated time for deep-focus work (early in the morning, before his family rises), prepacks his gym bag and lunch with the same contents every day, and even deliberately moved to be within a 15-minute bike commute from his office. In doing so, he reserves energy and willpower for the activities that are critically important to him.  READ MORE