How A Busy Dad Cut His Risk Of Dying In Half
We almost all fall prey to this…
Failed New Year's resolutions.
Have you heard Of Quitter’s Day?
By the second week of February every year, 80% of new year’s resolutions have failed.
The day you’re most likely to give up?
January 19 has become known as Quitter’s Day.
I’m not into the New Year’s resolution hype.
Dec 31 isn’t any different than Jan 1, except “Dry January” enters the vocabulary.
But many things start anew on Jan 1 (fiscal years, taxes, insurance deductibles, my wife’s lettuce for lunch rule, etc.).
I don’t mind the idea of wiping the slate clean and restarting.
It's refreshing…like closing all your browser tabs and starting over (ahhhhhhh).
So instead of setting myself up for failure with a resolution, I create a mantra.
Not the sitting-on-the-floor-eyes-closed-crosslegged-lotus-pose kind.
Here’s what I mean by mantra.
A word or phrase that guides my direction and decisions. (definitely not from webster).
In 2022 my mantra was ‘Health.’ I wanted to be a healthy dad that could keep up with my three fiercely independent kids.
A mantra is how this busy dad put up (or put down) some serious stats:
Me on 1/1/22
- 210 lbs
- 289 total cholesterol
- 3.5% risk of heart attack (in the next 10 years)
Me on 12/23/22
- 192 lbs (⬇️18lbs)
- 168 total cholesterol (⬇️ 121)
- 1.5% risk of heart attack (⬇️57%)
There were three things I did to live my mantra and improve my health. I will use these same three things to live out my mantra in 2023 (Growth):
1/ Went Monk
What is went monk?
It is a focused challenge + a fast.
The key to going monk is to focus on one thing for a short duration (go to the gym 3 days a week for 30 days) and fasting distractions or vices (no beer during the week).
This short duration and intense focus make the goal attainable and easier to turn into a habit.
2/ Hired a coach
I know what you are thinking… you're picturing a football coach screaming in your ear as his spit whacks you in the face like a sprinkler.
What I mean by coach is an expert. Someone that has been-there-done-that. That can give you tips, keep you focused and challenge you.
I hired a fitness coach and spent more time with my doctor.
Coaches are crucial to success as kids and are even more important for exhausted dads.
3/ Took a class
I sang like Alice Cooper when I graduated college (schooooool’s out foor-ever!).
As I get older, I realize how little I know and how important learning is to continue to grow as an adult.
To live out my mantra each year, I take one or two classes (online or in person).
For 2022 I took a fitness class. It taught me to push my body while not getting hurt.
Conclusion
So, try these tips to put down some serious numbers or achieve something new this year.
And maybe Quitter’s Day will eventually perhaps become known as Doers Day.
Salud to a happier and better you!
