The True Value of a Healthy Lifestyle

by Roy Wiersma

Everyone realizes that leading a healthy lifestyle is a good decision.  The strange thing is that most people do not prioritize leading a healthy life.  The purpose of this article is to highlight the secret benefits of healthy lifestyle choices and provide motivation and techniques to make these choices easier.

Two ideas

We are going to investigate this idea in two ways.  The first is conceptually, the second will be a “mathy” example.  The person you are right now is the sum of all your choices leading up to this point in time.  So each choice you make from here on out adds up to the next version of yourself.  Consider the version of yourself if you spent 30 min working out every Saturday.  Would that version be better than the current version in 6 months, most likely.  Alternatively, consider the version of yourself that instead of working out drank a 32 oz soda every Saturday.  Would that version be worse than the current version after 6 months, most likely.  This example highlights how obvious it is that small choices matter.  But the secret is in the perspective, the person who cares about the future versions of themselves makes the better choices.

The math concerning your future self is an example of compounding.  Suppose for illustrative purposes a trainer had a technique to make you 1% stronger each day.  At first glance our inner skeptic wins out and thinks 1% does not seem like much, but let’s think that through.  Assume you can squat 200 lbs.  After 1 week you would only be 7% stronger, 214 lbs.  However, after 1 month you would be 34% stronger, 269 lbs.  At 3 months though you are at 489 lbs, and at 6 months you would be at 500% stronger, 1200 lbs.  The point is that numerous 1% changes can scale very quickly.  Your health choices can have this magnitude of impact on a multitude of areas in your life.

The impacts

-The Body

It will come as no surprise that healthy choices surrounding diet, sleep, and activity improve your body, both in appearance and function.  However, we are interested in the less obvious benefits.  Sticking to this 1% idea from before, what if we could lessen back issues by 1% each day, or reduce fatigue by 1% each day.  What about reducing the cost of medical visits later in life by 1% per healthy habit.  Reducing the risk of serious injury, improving the immune system, the list goes on.  This would add up to a large scale quality of life improvement in the long term.  

-The Mind

Our body is a finely tuned yet adaptable machine.  It can function with terrible fuel and maintenance, but like all machines if poorly cared for it will break.  The mind is no exception to that rule.  The health habits we have greatly affect our ability to process information and make decisions.  Imagine if all your decisions were 1% better.  You would forget fewer things, notice more important details, make more intelligent decisions, solve problems more tactfully etc.

-The Soul

The soul is about many things spiritual, but most soulful activities involve some variety of generosity or reverence.  If your health is in good order your ability to provide generosity is greatly magnified.  Your ability to uphold traditions and reverence is multiplied.  You are more able to be a proper example of how to be a good person and by being this example you inspire others to do the same.

-Relationships

This is perhaps the area most affected by your health.  Imagine if you had 30 minutes of extra energy each day to dedicate attention to your spouse.  Let that really sink in.  How would this focused attention affect your connection?  What about having the extra patience to deal with your children or parents?  The tiny affects of health manifest in massive ways in relationships because we have so many interactions.  Anyone who has been hangry before knows that a small change can have a big impact, now start adding them up.

-Career

Your career is the place where you share your most valuable skills with the world.  If you were more alert, more creative, more energetic, more thorough how would this show up at work?  Would you be more likely to get promoted?  Would you get a raise?  Would your clients be more likely to come back for future products or services?  There is a reason almost all people with highly successful careers prioritize their health.

The interesting part

All of these categories are directly affected by your health.  Now let’s consider the interaction between categories.  Each of our categories has some interaction and is thus improved if the interplay is positive.  This is where the impact of healthy choices begins to cascade and why effective people are usually incredibly effective.  The good of each category improves all the others!  If you have a more successful career would you be able to better show up as a husband, father, or friend? Be more generous.  If you had better relationships would your career improve?   

Making healthy choices easier

1. Add things before you remove things.  

Instead of cutting out junk food, aim to include healthy foods first.  Add in a walk to the park, instead of removing movie night.  Let the healthy choices slowly replace the unhealthy ones.

2. Consistency is key

Is having a kale smoothie every day too much?  Do it once a week, but do it every week, stay consistent and the impact will add up quickly.

3. Push back against negative influences (be careful with this)

If your friend is always persuading you to make unhealthy choices, push back and try to persuade the friend to make healthy choices.  Be kind about it and be clear about why you are making these choices,  especially with a spouse or close friend.

4. Remove barriers to healthy choices, and create barriers for unhealthy choices

Keep fruit and vegetables in the house, so you are more likely to cook with them.  Choose a gym that is close to your house not far away.  Take a different route to work so you don’t pass the donut shop.

When you consider your future self to be at least as important if not more important than your present self, healthy choices become the obvious path.  Health is in essence as a series of choices that create 1% improvements made over time.  These changes compound and cascade over all the areas of your life.  Implementing some or all of the simple, straightforward tips are ways to start compounding health improvements and eventually have a massive impact on all areas of your life.