When you have the opportunity to ask some of the most interesting people in the world about their lives, sometimes the most fascinating answers come from the simplest questions. The Thrive Questionnaire is an ongoing series that gives an intimate look inside the lives of some of the world’s most successful people.
Thrive Global: What’s the first thing you do when you get out of bed?
Jillian Michaels: Kiss my kids and have my Lucky Jack Coffee.
TG: What gives you energy?
JM: Ha! I answered the previous question before seeing this one. My coffee. Then honestly, I hydrate with an alkaline water called Aqua Hydrate and take supplements. It helps. And I prioritize my sleep. I like to get my 7-8 hours whenever possible.
TG: What’s your secret life hack?
JM: The 12 hour rule. I find that on the aggregate – setting aside 12 hours a week to take care of you is enough to function. We have 112 waking hours at least so 12 shouldn’t be that hard to piece together. And with those hours I can fit in 4 decent 30 minute workouts (at home saves me time.) Using an app helps. Like mine or Fitfusion is also great. It’s time for a date night. A beauty appointment. A doctors appointment. A lunch with friends, etc.
TG: Name a book that changed your life.
JM: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
TG: Tell us about your relationship with your phone. Does it sleep with you?
JM: Sadly it does. It’s just how we stay connected these days.
TG: How do you deal with email?
JM: Religiously. I never go to bed with emails unread. If people don’t answer me within 24 hours it definitely changes the way I perceive them.
TG: You unexpectedly find 15 minutes in your day, what do you do with it?
JM: Play with my kids.
TG: When was the last time you felt burned out and why?
JM: 2015 almost killed me. I was shooting two different shows. Working on a book. Getting ready to launch the new Jillian Michaels App. Trying to run my company alongside my business partner – that was a crazy year.
TG: When was the last time you felt you failed and how did you overcome it?
JM: ALL the time. And I overcome it by learning from my mistakes. I have no issue with failure. I just make sure to not have the same ones twice.
TG: Share a quote that you love and that gives you strength or peace.
JM: Feel the fear and then do it anyway.
Jillian Michaels is the world’s leading fitness expert, renowned nutritionist and successful entrepreneur. With an international community of followers exceeding 100 million, Jillian’s dominance in health and wellness extends to hit television series, successful fitness DVDs, top exercises streaming platform FitFusion.com, 8 New York Times bestselling books, an award-winning podcast, live speaking engagements, the Jillian Michaels app, popular social media channels, her website JillianMichaels.com, and a list of key business partnerships and investments. Jillian launched her company, Empowered Media, LLC, with her business partner Giancarlo Chersich in 2006. In the past decade, Empowered Media has become a monumental wellness empire dedicated to total-life solutions comprising all aspects of living well, including nutrition, fitness, self-help and overall lifestyle.