If we are ever asked “what's most important to us in life?”, most people's answer will include some variation of the following: (in no particular order)
“Family”
“Health”
“My significant other / Love”
“Friends”
“Career”
And I'm sure a few other things.
As you would probably guess it's the health one I want to talk about…
Many people say their health is a priority, it's almost a cliche to say things like “without your health you have nothing” and it's often only when our health is threatened or gets compromised that that's brought home.
Yet few people really seem to prioritise their health: as a nation we are more ill, more overweight and more unfit than ever.
Taking the extreme scenarios:
If we can't work due to illness, we can't support our families.
If we're not fit and healthy enough to partake fully in any relationship, how good and long-lasting are they going to be?
I like to think about my health in another way too. Not only in the belief that by working on it through nutrition and exercise that I will reduce the likelihood of getting seriously ill or injured, but that our health in terms of our energy, our strength, our mental focus, our stamina and our confidence underpins everything we do and helps us perform better in every other area of life.
It also helps if I'm not feeling particularly motivated. When that happens - probably more often that you would think...
I think to myself about setting an example to my children.
I think about getting a competitive advantage in business
I think about wanting to be able to live life to the full, without any limitations
(I even think how I want to look good for my other half - but don't tell her that!)
I don't know exactly how this quote goes, or who to attribute it to, but it goes something like; “to tell what someone's true priorities are, you just have to look at how they spend their time”
If you say health is a priority for you, what are you doing about it?
Are you giving it the time and focus required to get it to where you want it to be?
Darren
