Staying Committed to Private Equity Fiscal Fitness; Focusing on the core is the key to long-term viability for private equity firms; although staying ahead of the game requires attention and hard work.(ACG)

Byline: Mark Jones

As I type, I am growing increasingly sore as a result of one of those hare-brained ideas to which all weekend athletes occasionally fall victim. The sign at the local YMCA advertised "Intense Training," so I (over)confidently figured that meant an okay workout. After an hour of things that I simply don't do in my PE job - i.e., dozens of mountain climbers, up/downs, bear crawls, planks and rotating medicine ball whatchamacallits - I realized that I'm not as ready for primetime as I was during high school.

The class instructor maintained casual conversation throughout the ordeal (I'm not sure how) and kept telling us the importance of focusing on our core muscles as every movement we make originates from our core. The core, she said, offers stability, balance and flexibility. Further, while most exercise routines focus on building particular muscles, we can optimize the strength and flexibility of each limb by creating a stable and strong base for those muscles. Perhaps as a way to take my mind off the agony of the moment, my thoughts wandered to how her advice might relate to my day job as a partner in a …