There is a quote often referred to when talking about personal development and peak performance that says that how we do anything is how we do everything. As I’ve thought about this it became clear to me that it isn’t really that how we do anything is how we do everything. A better statement is that how we do anything affects everything else.
We are better at some things than others. We do have more discipline in some areas than others. Because we care about some things more than others. But the point is, that if we’re not on our game in any one area, if we cut corners anywhere, it’s going to show up in both likely and unlikely places.
The reason this has been an area of thought for me recently is that I’ve moved health off the “back-burner” as a priority. It has come front and center. Getting committed to good health starts in the mind. It may be our bodies that do the “heavy lifting” – but our minds control the process. In the past, when it came to mindset and motivation though I would seem to always get stuck. I realized that I had to look beyond health to find sustainable motivation. That is where this principle came front and center.
Unhealthy living costs more money. It just does. We waste more money on unhealthy food, we spend more on medications and doctor bills. In my case, I ate out far more than I needed to for convenience and it wasn’t healthy eating either. And it cost a lot of money. Far more than buying fresh food and preparing it in a healthy manner.
Unhealthy living costs more time. Did you know that? When I realized that it took me longer to do things because I was tired, or not feeling well or just overall not on my game because I wasn’t taking care of myself, time became another cost of being unhealthy.
Time and money. The two resources we need to be able to invest wisely everyday in order to achieve the life of our dreams. And being unhealthy puts a burden on both.
How I manage my health does affect everything else. I have less energy, less money and less time to do the things I want to do. So there’s the motivation to get healthy I needed.
Take a moment and think about the one area of your life where you know you aren’t performing at the top of your game. It may not be health for you. It might be finances, your career, your family, or even your community. We all have an area where we know we can perform at a higher level. Now consider what that one area is costing you in every other area. Quite a different perspective isn’t it? If our finances are undisciplined, we lack resources for our businesses, our families and cannot give back in our community. If we do not take care of our relationships, it’s going to show up in almost every other area. That inter-dependency of all aspects of “us” is the key.
So the next time you want to “cheat” – be it calories, money or anything else, ask yourself if it’s worth it. I’m tired of cheating myself. Enough. How I do anything affects everything.
Food for thought…
