Podcast - Your Wellness Depends On Your Standards
Today I want to share a short message about the importance of standards and how they impact the quality of your life and health.
I’m a great believer that we naturally prioritise the things in life that matter most to us on that inherently form part of our highest values.
What I mean by that is this…
Consider an area of life where you’ve had some sustained success, it’s probably because you valued it really highly and you had some underlying standards or non-negotiables attached to that area of your life.
For example…
If you value your finances most, you’ll be driven to make money, you’ll learn to invest and the daily actions you take to generate success in that area of life will reflect that or will have over a number of years if you’ve had financial success;
If you value family most, nothing will stand in the way of you spending quality time with your partner, spouse or kids which manifests as a strong family unit;
And if you value your wellness most, you’ll have a basic set of touch points or rules that enables you to live in a state of health and vitality without fear of disfunction or dis-ease.
You and I both know that robust success in life doesn’t just happen – it requires us to take certain daily, repeatable actions to get the results we want and to live the life we want. And that requires a preparedness mindset, a vision for your life and even a little delayed gratification – because it requires you to pursue and invest in a path with a view to that vision or result.
And this is why in a recent episode, I spoke about the psychology of wellness post 50, because it’s once we reach this middle phase of life that we really need to regroup, reflect and to have a vision for how we want things to look in 1,5 and 10 years from now.
And this all starts with being cognisant of the current trajectory your on. Because when you stop and take the time to make an honest assessment of yourself and where you’re at, you realise whether or not you need to make some changes to your lifestyle if you are to realise that vision you have for yourself.
So your standards matter when it comes to your health and wellness.
And they matter more now in your middle stages of life than ever before – because if you’re on the wrong trajectory, for every year that goes by now that you don’t make positive change or shift your standards the pain will be amplified down the road.
Standards are basically a set of “non-negotiables” or “musts” that will drive your life and health moving forward.
And it’s not to be militant or crazy regimented, it’s more about giving you ultimate freedom – because if you do the little things right on a daily basis you’ll give yourself tremendous flexibility as you age to do the things you want to do, without being sedentary, dependent on others or physically limited or incapable (which for me is the ultimate form of entrapment)
So, I want you to have a think about the type of standards you could set for yourself. And I want to share with you some of mine just to get you thinking – and you may even find many of these apply to you or a few of them may resonate with you to adopt for your own life.
But these are subconscious and conscious standards I set for myself that impact the quality of my life and health:
I don’t visit doctors (unless it’s a crises or trauma situation)
I don’t take medications
I don’t take pills or capsules
I avoid processed sugar
I read the labels on the packaged foods I buy
I shop at my local fruit man or farmer’s market for fresh produce
I don’t drink alcohol during the week
I only eat pasture raised, hormone-free animal products
I go to bed before 9pm at least 5 nights per week
I exercise for at least 45 mins every single morning
I drink 3 litres of water per day
I get into the ocean or the forest at least once per week
I’m sure you get the picture. And this doesn’t mean you need to have these same standards. Do what resonates with you, but I’m just pointing out that if you’re being honest with yourself, you’ll probably discover that where you are in your wellness journey is likely a reflection of the past standards you have set for yourself.
Start by making a mental note of how your day looks from the moment you rise to when you go to bed. Broadly speaking, if you think about the steps and processes you follow either consciously or sub-consciously and if you’re being honest with yourself, you will see where there a gaps or areas that you can easily level up and improve.
I know we are creatures of habit and even the smallest of changes can be difficult – but when you get clear on your vision (how you want your body to look and feel in 5-10 years from now), and you’re honest with yourself about the trajectory you are currently on, you will be able to set new standards for yourself that make a big difference to your trajectory and your health.
And to finish, I’m reminded of a saying I heard recently that really hit this point home for me, which was this:
“When you care for yourself, you don’t need to make an example of anyone, you just need to be the example”.
And so think of your standards as just taking better care of your self. Not any kind of deprivation, discomfort or punishment. You are here to practice greater self care because you only get one body and one life – and ultimately if you lose your health and wellness you end up with nothing.
So, when you set up some daily non-negotiables and standards I believe it is one of the true secrets to success life and health. This is what Rock Solid Wellness is all about. Thanks for reading.
ZT.
