I believe it is human nature to want to improve our lot in life and yet many don’t seem to grasp the concept of incremental improvement. We all want instantaneous gratification and yet that rarely happens. Most things that are worthwhile take time. People want to get rich quick because compound interest is boring for a long time until suddenly, it’s exciting!
My clients who have six figures in their life insurance cash values didn’t get there overnight. Most of them have annual premiums less than $5,000 and very few have premiums exceeding $10,000. Slow and steady does the trick, but it takes time. Charlie Munger has said “Everyone is trying to be smart; I’m just trying NOT to be stupid.”
The same principle holds true for getting in shape.” What does that even mean? Being able to complete the Ironman Triathlon? Run a marathon? A 10k? A 5K? Being able to deadlift twice your body weight? Failing to clearly define the objective at the outset almost always dooms the endeavor to failure.
I have found several protocols for getting better, and the most important one is getting better sleep. I used to think that good health was comprised of diet, exercise and sleep, but now I believe that sleep is the foundation of good health. We can go off our diet and skip our workout for a period of time and it won’t significantly compromise our overall health, but if our sleep is compromised, even for a short period of time, it can have an extremely detrimental effect on our well-being.
Almost no one can operate at their best while being sleep deprived. The quote “Fatigue makes cowards of us all” I’ve found attributed to both Vince Lombardi and George Patton, but it doesn’t matter who said it, it’s true.
The next protocol is diet. Since I am not a nutritionist, I am not qualified to give dietary advice, but I can tell you what has worked for me, and that is drastically reducing the amount of sugar I consume. You’d be surprised at the amount of sugar that is in most of our diets. Nowadays, my sugar intake is limited to that sugar which is in fruit. Of course, I broke that rule for Thanksgiving and will break it again over the Christmas holidays, but other than special occasions, I find that consuming a negligible amount sugar has had a very positive effect on my health.
Exercise is another protocol I have engaged in for my entire adult life, but if you haven’t, it’s never to late to start. Again, I’m not an exercise physiologist and so I’m not qualified to give exercise advice. While checking with your doctor before starting an exercise program is advisable, I’m reasonably certain that most people could start a walking program, even if it is initially just around the block.
A final protocol I will offer is reading. As long-time readers know, I am an avid reader, and am convinced that it is a cornerstone of self-improvement.
So there you have it; four simple protocols that have the potential to increase your happiness and productivity. Use them as you see fit.
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