40 health truths from 40 years part 2 (11-20)

11 - The first tool to develop is awareness?

To make positive change we need to be aware. Aware of our current status and what needs to change. Aware of what actions works for us to drive change. Aware of how to recognize if the change has moved us in the right direction.

12 - Good health is an infinite game

There is no end to working on good health. We get to keep playing it until the day we die. Don’t get caught up in the 6 week bikini body boot camp finite game mindset.

13 - Don't be afraid to experiment

When it comes to improving health, lot's of things work. But that doesn't mean that they will work for you right now. They may not suit your context, your preferences, or your physiology. Test things out and pay attention to how you respond. Keep the things that work, and discard others.

14 - What worked before might not work in the future.

And what didn't work in the past might work in the future.

Our lives change, how we respond to stimulus changes as well. Let things go when they stop working. Come back to others that might work now.

15 - You've got to do it on the good days and on the cold Tuesday in July?

It's easy to take action on the good days when everything goes well. But what matters most is what you do on the tough days. Plan for the hard days and enjoy the good days when they arrive.

16 - A plan with flexibility built in flows with life more easily than a rigid plan?

Many of us have lots of balls in the air. The pulls on our time and focus come from many directions. If we only have one way of doing things, when things get in the way our healthy action can't fit into our lives. When we plan to be flexible we can mold our healthy actions around life's demands.

17 - If you want to go hard repeatedly, you need to invest in recovery?

Our life can feel like a rush from one BIG thing to another. Our systems benefit from time to recover after a bout of hard work. If we short change ourselves on recovery then it's much harder to show up at best when we need to. Movement, nutrition, hydration, sleep, relaxation are vital.

18 - Small actions taken regularly add up quickly

We often think that to make meaningful change we need to take BIG actions. But in reality a small action repeated can really shift the needle. For example stretching for 5 minutes a day for a month can hugely improve your flexibility.

19 - Self-compassion is a key to staying consistent

Life is full on. It often gets in the way of our best laid plans. When it does it can be easy to beat ourselves up. This isn't helpful. It wastes time, energy and makes it less likely we will get back on track tomorrow. Cultivating self-compassion allows us to process the emotions associated with the barrier and then get going again.

20 - There are no "secret hacks"

There is just what works and what doesn't.?

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