Is what you’re doing putting you on the straightest path to your goal?
You have a desired lifestyle. Are you wishing for the day that lifestyle becomes accessible, or are you putting in the effort to remove every obstacle between you and that goal?
Continuing our Road Trip metaphor, let’s consider all of the controllable elements of the journey. Can you check the air pressure in the tires? Do you have access to oil changes and tune-ups? Of course. Do you intentionally drive on icy roads, or plan on driving through Texas in June without an air-conditioner? No, you look at the road ahead, check the weather, and you plan accordingly. When it comes to fitness, you not only get to control the condition of your vehicle, you actually have some say in the weather and the road conditions. When it comes to your health, you control the groceries in your cabinet, the restaurants you select, and the temptations within reach. The climate of your lifestyle is impacted by others, sure, but you have so much more control than we often consider.
The least controllable aspect of your journey is the age of your vehicle. You are getting older. That statement is neither good nor bad. It can mean a harder road or an easier path, depending on your choices. In the last article we agreed that age isn’t an excuse for your condition. It is simply a fact that must be accommodated.
So, how do you put your current age to work? First you forecast, then you take advantage of the fact you aren’t predicting the future, you’re designing it. The 25-year-old, the 45-year-old, and the 65-year-old don’t have the same body. Their bodies don’t respond equally to exercise and diet. What they have in common is that taking a heads-up approach to your decisions means positive results.
If forecasting and planning are so easy, why don’t more people do it? Because while doing what is right is easy, the alternative is often easier. What’s easier than making the most of our age? Doing nothing. The enemy of action isn’t effort, it’s apathy. You’d be surprised at how often people express dismay at having done nothing and seeing no results. It seems delusional to expect results from doing nothing, but in practice we underestimate the effectiveness of the steps we’re taking. A fact that I often return to time and time again with my clients is that healthy living isn’t a science experiment. The results of your decisions are predictable and reliable. Boiled down to the simplest of elements, moving more and eating right equal health at every age. Doing nothing and eating whatever happens to be available adds up to obesity, accelerated aging, and all the health issues that we want to avoid. Heart disease and joint pain don’t have to be in your forecast. You can predict, decide on, and impact the climate of today, next week, and your retirement years. Remember when we celebrated that glass of water you drank? We celebrated it because you changed the climate of the day. Could you bank that decision and count on it to get you through the week? Nope. But today’s first step is tomorrow’s norm. Your vehicle is in constant motion and therefore requires current and effective care and maintenance. There is no retirement from healthy living. But as your vehicle moves down the road, its high mileage condition is determined by the care we put into it this morning. For people who haven’t spent their 20s making the best decisions, there is sometimes concern that they’re in a deficit health-wise. Here’s where your body differs dramatically from your car. You can reverse the impact of neglect and undo what seems like damage. You can’t change your genetics, and the first steps won’t be easy. However, if today’s first steps become tomorrow’s norm, you can feel better, look better, and ensure positive health benefits moving forward. Depending on where you are in your journey those facts may seem obvious or impossible. If it’s the latter, I hope you’ll heed what we’ve discussed and change your course, improve the condition of your vehicle, and drive out of the storm and into fine weather. Put your Heart into your decision, Focus on the changes you need to make, and together we’ll celebrate the Power of your efforts.
Let us know your forecasting efforts. What positive choices are you making? #positivechoices #heartfocuspower
