why does it feel so difficult to make the most basic commitment to a healthy life?
We all know we need to eat right, exercise and lower our stress level to live longer, right? So why does it feel so difficult to make the most basic commitment to a healthy life?
Firstly, like most things in today’s modern world, I think we’ve over complicated what works out of boredom and forgotten what healthy really is in navigating the hectic world we’ve invented for ourselves. Instead, we live an era of health optimisation, bio-hacking, cold plunging, foam-rolling, high-intensifying and detoxing: we’re being sold on the need to upgrade all parts of ourselves, all at once, including parts that we did not previously know needed upgrading.
The second thing: as a result, we’re all burdened with the overwhelm of all that. Spoiled for choice we need degrees in food label definitions, corrective exercise techniques to ensure ongoing weight loss and mindset tactics to live our best life, daily, or else!
Luckily, as I’ve often seen in my life anyway, in the problem lies the solution:
‘own’ boring and do the basics savagely well: meals, moves, mindset
realise it’s all too overwhelming to take it all on. The best shot you have is to ‘keep’ yourself - your immune system, your mind, your strength - have a sense of what’s going on with you. Cos I don’t think we can manage the ‘what air am I breathing?’ level of thinking! Just work on controlling what you can control.
I remember waking up from my brain tumour surgery and being so freakin’ grateful to have a second chance. They brought my lunch in and I turned it away: with a clean slate in this second life (you only realise you get two when you’re on your second!), I was determined to build back best! Luckily my hub arrived at the same moment with a meal I really wanted: fresh cut mango, cold boiled eggs and butter (I really wanted that!). I’d actually love to have added a delicious steak in there but having taken corticosteroids to lower my brain’s inflammation, my stomach’s ability in the steak digesting department were next to none for the immediate future - but that’s a whole other blog!
Crazily that same day, in the beeping bustling burgeoning ICU, I received an email congratulating me on qualifying for the NYC marathon that day of my survival, exactly one year on! Talk about stoking the fire of inspiration - yup, I sure would do it! First I would learn to walk again, then get some longer ones in, some jogs in the walks, then back to running. I had a whole year! And I did, though even then I never ran 42.2km: I ran 8 x 5km runs and with a last blast to the finish (probably more snail blast by that stage haha)!
And so to the point of this blog: how to make the most basic commitment to a healthy life? Three things:
You can hit rock bottom and still make something beautiful out of it. Were given a choice, in those dark moments, will you choose to allow it to make you stronger or will you choose to allow it to break you beyond repair. We have a choice to become our best selves in the worst times; I became my best self in my worst time: I decided if anyone could do this I could. I don’t know how, I wish I had a guidebook, but I realised the power that had always been inside
I broke it down into digestible bites... one thing at a time. What's the first thing we need to do? Let's get that done. What's the next thing we need to do? Let's do that.
Marathon Running... same thing.
Homeschool my son .. same thing
Writing a book currently ... same thing.
Digestible Bites.
And when you approach any goal like that, you can achieve A LOT
It’s up to you. How do YOU feel, not how should you, or someone else your age, or what product is someone trying to sell you to solve it, or once and done/magic bullet or some other distraction technique or storytelling meme you’ve not heard about instantaneously like everything else now. We’re so tired cos we have to listen to so much more than we ever did! What about listening to you?
Checkin with you. Know what’s going on with you. Some go for bloodwork changes and constant glucose monitoring but however you do it, workout out what actually feels good, if not great, and not so great and work from there.
You can redesign your body so you can do anything you wish. And do wish! Instead of planning for the worst-case scenario and feeding your anxiety, how about expecting the best case scenario and restoring your peace.
Change is possible ... Just not in the way that's generally advertised in the food and fitness industry. It's not 30 days, it's not a detox diet, & it's not a secret formula you can buy for 19.99.
It's a series of tiny daily choices repeated over time with consistency.
It's being fueled by habit not motivation.
It's choosing a purpose ignited by passion.
Remember nothing is impossible. The very word itself says I'm Possible. Personal responsibility is not optional. Well, I suppose it is - but the alternative to taking personal responsibility is suffering the chaos that results from not taking any. Your choice.
Don't let anyone tell you how it's going to be, rescue yourself
