What's really important for you ?

Recently I put a survey on various social media platforms. I was asking people a question, "What's your number 1 priority in life?" and the choices were Health, Money or Relationships.

I was happy to see a lot of people responded Health as their number 1 priority. There were equal number of people who voted for Relationship too. Honestly speaking, I was not surprised to see the results as I expected people to compare these three options and choose what's most important for them. Naturally humans are social animals and hence we can't imagine living without our loved ones.

Let me tell you that this was not a comparison between your loved ones and your own health or money. It is just a prioritization act. You may feel family is more important than money (and it is absolutely OK to think so) however at times you need money to support your family. Also, you need a good health to make your family feel secure and comfortable.

Overall Relationships was the most chosen option however it shouldn't be. May be while answering people would have imagined the faces of their loved one in their minds. Their loving daughter, their son or their loving wife. Who would think of rating their kids or their parents, anything less than 1. This is obvious. isn't it?

I will tell you that this is fair to rate relationships down and rate something else which should be your number 1 priority. Which is your health, YES Your health should remain your number 1 priority because unless you have a good health, you cannot take care of your son, daughter, wife or parents or even friends. You can also not enjoy your wealth without a good health. All is wealth of the world is useless for a sick person.

If you are unwell and lying on the bed, do you think your loved ones will be happy to see you. You love them so much and would never want them to feel this way. So, in order for them to not experience this, you must take care of your health. Am I making sense now?

Let me take another example, what if you rate money as your number 1 priority and end up ignoring your health and relationships. Do you think with billion dollars in bank account and lying on a hospital bed will make you happy or sipping your coffee alone every morning will make you feel good? In no time you'd get bored and frustrated. Do you know the worst place in the world is a hospital ward where a patient is lying on a bed and looking at the roof. That is a worst kind of experience. You would not ever want to be there.

That is why for each one of us our no. 1 priority should be our health and wellness. We should not ignore our health to chase money or relationships.

One might be chasing wealth and ignoring health which in long run might take away the whole wealth to regain the health (which in most cases is even impossible).

Young people take their health for granted. They think we are fit and fine and nothing would happen to us ever. This is a bias that most of us have. We are indulging in various unhealthy habits in our 20s, 30s and 40s such as smoking, alcohol and other unhealthy eating habits like eating junk food & high sugar intake etc.

I have seen people skipping their meals or having it too late to attend office meetings. Most of us work with global teams and can't expect everyone to be aware of our eating schedule. One suggestion could be to block your calendar for lunch and dinner, so you are not invited for meetings during those times.

It is advised to follow a proper diet and have dinner at least 3-4 hours before going to bed. In a healthy person's plate, put at least 70% food which contains protein and fiber and remaining 30% can contain carbs. Include lots of multicolor fruits and veggies in your plate. Eat healthy food at least 80% of times (I would give 20% for parties etc.). One should consume their food in a period of 10 hours and don't eat anything for remaining 14 hours except water and green tea/black coffee etc.

Fast for 18-20 hours at least once every week (if possible do it twice). This fasting helps with a process called Autophagy which results in degradation of the cell that removes unnecessary or dysfunctional components through a lysosome-dependent regulated mechanism. This basically helps in avoiding cancer to a large extent. A Nobel prize was awarded to Japanese cell biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi for this discovery in 2016.

Always spare time for exercise and fitness. Unless you take good care of your body, it won't be able to take care of you when you are not well. It is advisable to exercise at least 4 days a week for minimum 45 min. Do an exercise which increases your heart rate such as jogging, running, cycling, cardio etc. Try to perform strength exercise at least twice a week preferably lifting weight in a gym or at home with your own equipment. Try to walk at least 500-1000 steps after every meal. Walk minimum 8000 steps everyday.

A good night's sleep is also very important. Try to sleep minimum 6-8 hours every day.

If you are above 30 years, get a full body health test every year (maybe on your birthday).

Always remember for attaining a good physical potential, your diet contributes 80% and exercise just 20%. Hence more focus is required on what are you putting inside your body every day.

To stay fit and healthy one should prioritize their health as their no. 1 priority in life. Only after that you can think about ways to build stamina and strength to live a happy and satisfied life.

Finally, I would like to conclude by saying that all three Health, Wealth and Relationship are absolutely required to live a good life and lack of any of these wouldn't make you feel fulfilled. You may feel miserable if any one of these is missing in your life however you must prioritize your health first, so you can enjoy a good wealth and great relationships. Consider this as a mandatory prerequisite in your life's project. Good luck!