Chapter 15: Putting it all together

"Perfect is the enemy of good." - Voltaire

In this chapter, I will put my current (as of 2023) schedule down which takes my learning from the previous 14 chapters. First setting yourself up for success through habits and measured approaches. Then taking the necessary steps slowly but surely. Lastly, sharing your knowledge and helping others.

As we now approach the end of November, this week marks the week I learned about how bad my Type-2 diabetes had gotten during the pandemic one year ago. At this time, I resolved to learn as much as I could about this disease, how to slow or reverse it and some simple steps to do so by the new year.

The timing of this news is a bit fortuitous as this is the time of year I prep for New Years Resolutions anyway. Most people quit on their resolutions by the first month. For this reason, I like to "test run" my resolutions (no matter what time of year they may be in) to ensure they are not too difficult to keep. Essentially, do not set yourself up for failure. If you are reading this and plan on setting long term goals in the future, make a plan and test it out first, then adjust accordingly to make sure you can adhere to the plan.

The quote listed above about perfection being the enemy of good is something that I really needed help with, and currently still do. Now, I try to follow the Pareto Principle because I know aiming for perfection actually is setting myself up for failure. For this reason, I aim to do at least 8 of the 10 things listed below on a daily basis unless listed otherwise. Several of these things are tied to habits I tend to do everyday anyway, so I'm actually aiming for more like 4 things daily.

My List:

1. Walk the dog with a sense of gratitude to see the sunrise. Long deep breaths, embrace the cool air.
2. Have coffee with cinnamon and turmeric. Coffee will keep me satiated until lunch. Cinnamon is good for lowering blood sugar and turmeric is an anti-inflammatory.
3. Make at least 3 people smile, laugh through the day. Spreading joy will give me the warm glow sensation. Do something to give back - teach, mentor whenever I can or whenever someone asks.
4. Learn something new. Right now I am relearning Japanese as well as Leadership skills, Studies on Biology and Game Design.
5. Eat enough protein throughout the day. Using a 50-20-30 ratio. 12pm Lunch, 3pm snack and 6pm Dinner. Fast 1 day after any large meals, Water fast 3 days twice a year.
6. Take supplements. Metformin, nutritional yeast on salad, Cream of Tartar with Metamucil, Fish oil, Magnesium and Apple Cider Vinegar. These lower my blood sugar or supplement what is naturally lacking in vegetables these days.
7. Exercise. At least 30 minutes to 60 minutes of Low Intensity Steady State (LISS) Zone 2 speed walking. 15 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Zone 5 full body workouts 2-3 times a week. 30 minute VO2 Max training of 4 minutes Zone 5 running with 4 minutes of Zone 2 walking 4 times each once a week.
8. Do something I love each day - This usually means playing videogames, watching a show or movie, cooking, drawing, making the kids laugh.
9. Cold Shower - Starting shower cold for 30 seconds at least and then going warm.
10. Breathing exercises before bed and reflect. Letting go of the bad, learning from them, celebrate wins big and small, say something good about yourself. Ideally do this during the day as well, but I find before bed helps me get the deep sleep I need (try to get at least 6-8 hours) depending on when the dog wakes me up.

In addition to this, I try to set a goal that is not too long term but will require commitment. I heard that less than 5% of people actually complete something that requires consistency and dedication for at least several months. I had 2 projects this year, attend every meeting with Wendy Kim in her Beyond Blending In training (6 months) and write this blog weekly for 4 months while tracking statistics. I am happy to say I did both simultaneously which gives me a great sense of satisfaction.

IF you are in a position where you need to make life long changes suddenly. I hope you take some of my learning to help set yourself up for success. Most of us will eventually be put in a position where we need to make a life long change anyway, so I would recommend practicing with 3-6 month commitments regularly. Remember - do not aim for perfection, aim for progress.

Action Items

1. Give yourself 1 month to test any resolutions to ensure it is something you can do long term.
2. Tie as many of your goals with something you already do regularly as possible.
3. Make a commitment to do something that will take 3-6 months to complete.