Head of Google for Startups, Emerging Markets | Startup Mentor | Certified Coach | Speaker
How we’re transforming fitness culture at Google for Startups—one step at a time (literally): Maintaining peak mental and physical performance is essential for me, both personally and as a leader at Google. A while back, I started taking the stairs instead of the elevator. And it’s not just me; it's a cultural shift we're promoting among our team. More colleagues, including Marta and Noam, are embracing it. We’ve continued to take these small physical challenges further, recently installing pull-up bars around the Campus. Over time, these small changes have become part of our daily routine. Outside of work, I enjoy hiking and trying more intense activities like ice baths. But finding time for the gym or other physical activities can seem impossible with my work schedule. Still, I’ve noticed even simple actions like doing pull-ups before lunch and taking the stairs make a noticeable difference. If you’ve ever read James Clear's book (that I highly recommend), Atomic Habits, this fits with the idea of "protecting the asset.” The concept is simple: take care of yourself to avoid burnout. I remind myself every day: protect the asset first, then tackle the rest. This mindset keeps me productive and healthy. What small changes do you recommend for staying healthy and productive?
Schedules can be tight and limiting. So, I love the pull-up bars! Being flexible and adapting to your particular circumstances is key. I also take the stairs, and every step is purposeful with the optimal form. As I walk up/down the stairs, I actually adjust my thinking and understand that I’m exercising which I think helps. As I’m sitting at my desk I also tighten and release various parts of my body to activate my body. In “protecting the asset”, you’re preserving and perhaps even improving your overall health and productivity.
Love this. Also, I think the key is combining fitness and work. Have meetings over a surf session, a bike ride, or running.
Yuval Passov great to see this and taken time out in nature is an important part of my routine. Whether that be gardening, going for a walk either before work or at lunch time, or going out for a cycle. These are things I bake into my week. Finally, I am also trying to implement some rules to encourage greater communication at home. So for example at dinner time we now have a no phone policy and also when I wake up I try to set aside 30 minutes without checking emails etc (this one is very much a work in progress)e 💙
I love this post! My tip: wait 30 minutes after waking up before checking your phone :)
Yuval Passov little actions that we incorporate in our day to day make the whole difference to have, not only physical, but emotional balance too! I heard James Clear in a conference last October and opened my eyes to the impact that tiny daily improvements have compounded in the year! A little thing i’m doing now is cutting down bad words from my vocabulary and it does have such a positive effect on my attitude! It’s easier to calm down when you don’t dwell in the negatives. Thanks for the post!!!
you are welcome ;)
Get a good and regular night's sleep (aka 5 hours plus)
All is well except ice baths ????🥶
Love this! I personally always take the stairs but that's because I'm claustrophobic 😂 Now all you guys need is to get Reflect Orbs to take care of the mental health side 😉
Co-Founder EQL | Using technology to change the world of healthcare
1moLooking good Yuval Passov 💪🏻. It’s the small hacks as you say, anything is good enough so long as you can maintain consistency. It’s a mindset more than anything. For me it’s about protecting time and keeping that sacred. It’s a boundary I won’t allow to be broken