1. Health

Why it matters

When you are healthy, it’s all too easy to take it for granted. But when you are not… your body is your temple and if it doesn’t work, nothing else matters. Your energy level rubs off on others, so staying healthy is key to building energy.

Most people are aware of this. But there is a difference between knowing and doing.

How it works

The million dollar question is how you shift to a healthier lifestyle. The key is in creating good habits, or better still, replace bad habits with good ones. It doesn’t happen overnight. This is a gradual process, an evolution if you like from less healthy to more healthy.

There’s a connection with Agile – do small things first and then go from there. Successful change is created through small steps, generating frequent small wins. Over time, all those small wins add up.

Do not try to boil the ocean. Think of it this way: you have a certain amount of self-discipline to use during a day. It’s an illusion that you can be perfect. So invest it on small things, and during times of the day when you have energy.

This can be simple things like going for a walk every other day, then do it every day.
Instead of eating the whole chocolate bar, eat half of it. Do your grocery shopping after you have eaten. Nudge yourself after 2 months, then try a new habit.

I try to make it easy for myself. For example, I make sure the coffee machine in the office is far away. I park my car as far away as possible in the parking lot when I arrive in the morning. Then in the afternoon, when I’m not my better self, I have to take a few extra steps to get to my car.
Learn about yourself. Build on it.

Practice: Your better self can set up traps for your future/tired self.

Why is health so important?

If you stay healthy, you get better stamina and stress doesn’t get to you that easily. It’s also noticeable in your body language. If you have a lot of energy, you can pass it on. But in order to do that, you need to have energy yourself.