For the first time in 16 years, FBI agents are being made to undergo fitness tests to ensure they’re ready for duty.
The bureau’s 13,500 agents have until October to complete a physical exam that assesses whether they are fit enough to perform the tasks required of the job, according to the New York Times. An internal memo from FBI director James B. Comey announced the exams, which were officially rolled out at the end of last year.
Before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, FBI agents performed more fieldwork, like tracking gangs and making arrests. After 9/11, the agency focused on counterterrorism efforts, work that required agents to put in long hours and be desk-bound more often. Some agents gained weight, the Times reports, and others became depressed.
The fitness requirements differ based on age and gender, but each agent is required to complete a given number of push-ups and sit-ups without stopping in a short period of time, then sprint a given distance in a certain amount of time as well as complete a 1.5-mile run.
Do Not Email First Thing in the Morning or Last Thing at Night “The former scrambles your priorities and all your plans for the day and the latter just gives you insomnia,” says Ferriss, who insists “email can wait until 10am” or after you check off at least one substantive to-do list item.Chris Pecoraro—Getty ImagesDo Not Agree to Meetings or Calls With No Clear Agenda or End Time “If the desired outcome is defined clearly… and there’s an agenda listing topics–questions to cover–no meeting or call should last more than 30 minutes,” claims Ferriss, so “request them in advance so you can ‘best prepare and make good use of our time together.'”Sam Edwards—Getty Images/CaiaimageDo Not Check Email Constantly Batch it and check it only periodically at set times (Ferriss goes for twice a day). Your inbox is analogous to a cocaine pellet dispenser, says Ferriss. Don’t be an addict. Tools like strategic use of the auto responder and Boomerang can help.Jetta Productions—Getty ImagesDo Not Carry a Digital Leash 24/7 At least one day a week leave you smartphone somewhere where you can’t get easy access to it. If you’re gasping, you’re probably the type of person that most needs to do kick this particular habit.by nacoki ( MEDIA ARC )—Getty Images/Flickr RFDo Not Let People Ramble Sounds harsh, but it’s necessary, Ferriss believes. “Small talk takes up big time,” he says, so when people start to tell you about their weekends, cut them off politely with something like “I’m in the middle of something, but what’s up?” But be aware, not everyone agrees with this one (and certainly not in every situation), and you may want to pay particularly close attention to norms around chit chat when traveling internationally.Reza Estakhrian—Getty Images
