Mental and physical health are often treated as separate entities, yet they co-exist within the same body. Poor health can have profound effects on emotional well-being. A life-threatening diagnosis, like cancer, instantly shifts priorities, making everything else seem trivial. Accidents or injuries causing incapacitation, disfigurement or chronic pain have an emotional impact that lingers for life. Even subtler issues, such as weight gain or dissatisfaction with body image, can cause profound distress. We often take good health for granted, only valuing it once it’s lost. The basics of healthy living—nutrition, exercise, and sleep— are no secret, yet we often don’t prioritize them until it’s too late or until reclaiming health demands a Herculean effort. 

I’m no exception. I’ve approached my health casually, never completely neglecting my body but never making it a priority. My wife, by contrast, embodies healthy living as a seamless part of her lifestyle. On New Year’s Day, I resolved to make physical health my top priority for the year, a commitment I shared publicly in a prior blog to hold myself accountable. What follows is a reflection on what I’ve learned on this journey and the essential elements that helped me stick with my goal until it stuck with me.

Desire: The Spark of Change 

Meaningful change begins with a powerful, energetic desire—the spark that ignites the process. This ambition transforms into a specific goal or resolution. In a previous blog, I discussed the SMART method of goal setting (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound), which I applied to this quest. By declaring my goal publicly, I increased my accountability. Friends and family followed my progress, offering encouragement that fueled my commitment. The challenge lies in keeping the fire alive all the way to the finish line.  

Inspiration: Fueling the Fire

Desire ignites the flame, but inspiration keeps it burning, acting as the wind at our backs. We draw strength from role models who’ve achieved what we aspire to. My wife was my natural choice. Everything she does, I know I should do—she simply does it, while my efforts were often half-hearted. Her secret? She genuinely embraces healthy living. She loves the creativity of cooking, blending fresh ingredients into culinary delights with balanced proportions of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. She never misses her daily walk with our dogs, savoring the sun and nature. Her exercise regimen is tailored to her abilities, keeping her body toned and fit. She prioritizes restful sleep and avoids overindulgence, knowing it never feels good the next day. She enjoys learning about stress and emotional management, fostering peaceful relationships and a harmonious life. For her, caring for her body and emotions is like a car enthusiast tending to a prized Porsche. She enjoys living a health-conscious lifestyle. This inspired me to reframe healthy living as something fun and fulfilling, not an onerous burden. I took on the challenge to make it a more enjoyable way of life than my old, corner-cutting habits. 

Game Plan-Building the Framework

My game plan was straightforward: better nutrition, regular exercise, and sufficient sleep. Nutrition was the easiest, thanks to my wife’s passion for healthy cooking. I simply ate what she prepared— delicious, unprocessed meals that left me satisfied without exceeding calories. My natural tendency to skip breakfast and lunch aligned seamlessly with intermittent fasting, making it effortless. 

For exercise, I’ve always enjoyed lifting weights. Every home I’ve owned had a home gym with a good weight set, as I’m less likely to be consistent if I have to go to the gym. But I often pushed too hard, leading to muscle strains or injuries, and repetitive routines grew monotonous. This time, I found a fitness app designed for the “over 50” crowd. It tailors workouts to my fitness level, creating a different routine every day, with a digital trainer modeling each exercise. I simply mimic the digital dude while listening to my favorite music, making it an enjoyable part of my day. I coordinate exercise time with my wife’s favorite TV show time, as her show ain’t my cup of tea. We bought a message chair for Christmas, and I indulge in it after workouts. I like how my body feels after exercising. To hit 10,000 daily steps, I walk to and from work. These 30-minute strolls became my time to slow down, reflect on the day, and listen to podcasts or audiobooks that match my mood. Now with warm weather, I change into shorts after work to pursue a ‘gringo tan’ while reaping the benefits of sunlight. 

Sleep was a greater challenge. As a lifelong night owl, I’ve always relished late nights to feed my curious mind. But my daily walks scratch that itch during the day, freeing up nighttime for rest. I still need to occupy my mind to fall asleep, and audiobooks have become my solution. A narrator’s voice lulls me to sleep. My smartwatch tracks progress, providing useful feedback that shows my efforts are paying off. By structuring my regimen to be maximally enjoyable, I’ve created a lifestyle more fulfilling than my old, half-hearted ways.

Motivation: The Engine of Consistency

The key to long-term consistency is motivation. We often speak of motivation as something that “happens” to us, but we can create it within ourselves. Lately people refer to seeking a ‘dopamine fix’ through activities like scrolling social media, but dopamine doesn’t work that way. According to neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, dopamine spikes when we are looking forward to a reward—it’s the anticipation of reward that spikes dopamine, which spikes motivation. It also surges during movement. Its effect is even more potent as it’s the precursor to epinephrine (adrenaline) release, the body’s high octane fuel. The quest for motivation is the quest to activate dopamine. The prefrontal cortex—where we control thoughts, planning, decisions, self-talk, and attitude— is directly connected the the brain regions where dopamine resides. Our thoughts and attitudes act as accelerators or brakes for dopamine release. This is empowering: the part of our brain we fully control can turn motivation on or off. Our mindset has an incredibly potent impact on our motivation. By choosing thoughts that spark enthusiasm and create positive anticipation, we propel ourselves into action. Negative or dreadful thoughts, conversely, foster immobility and indifference. 

Mindset: The Secret to Self-Discipline

Mindset is the key to self-motivation. Our attitude either energizes or drains us. The challenge is to cultivate a positive mindset that looks forward to engaging in our goals and makes them enjoyable. Regular exercise requires discipline. Discipline is often seen as forcing ourselves to do what we don’t enjoy for a reward that possibly comes months down the road. I thought through discipline in another way. A disciple follows someone deemed worthy of following. Disciples of Christ strive to emulate Him. Similarly,  self-discipline means following oneself and the vision of who one wants to become. It makes no sense to not follow or refuse to pursue our own desires and dreams. Our mindset is a mix of two opposing thought sources: the automatic thoughts that pop into our head and our independent thoughts we choose to have. This inner game of chess required me to choose between alignment with the “anti-me”—the imposter voice which promotes laziness and procrastination—or the “me” I desire to be. It’s rather fun learning to outsmart that imposter, using clever Jedi mind-tricks to get myself excited about my 10,000 steps, workouts, mealtime and bedtime. Luckily we are the masters of our mindset, and our mindset controls the motivational dopamine spikes or no-dopamine yikes.

Rewards: Making the Process the Prize

We seek pleasure and avoid pain, repeating what’s enjoyable and shunning what’s not. Past attempts at weight loss or body improvement relied on willpower. I begrudging forced myself to do what I knew I had to, like denying carbs for weeks, in hopes of a distant reward like a certain number on the scale or a desired reflection in the mirror. Pay now, enjoy later. This time, I made the process itself the reward. My wife’s cooking is the best I’ve known—her food is delicious, leaving no hunger or suffering. My 10,000 steps are cherished alone time, a fantastic way to start and end my workday. Workouts are music-filled, with daily variety, paired with the luxury of a message chair and a smart watch to effortlessly track progress. Bedtime involves drifting off to a professional narrator reading a book of my choice. I awake invigorated, starting each day with an inspirational, comical or informative podcast while walking to work. This new way of living is simply more enjoyable than the old way. I’m no longer a disciple of that inner brat voice peddling idleness as nirvanic bliss.

Results: New Habits Die Hard

The results have largely been what I hoped for. I’ve lost a significant amount of weight, though I haven’t reached my final goal—yet it now seems inevitable. My strength and endurance have increased, and clothes fit differently. Aches and pains I attributed to age have vanished. My blood pressure, once a concern, now matches levels from my 20’s. My mind feels quick and capable, sharpened by restful sleep. I often smile while lifting weights, amused by the 16-year-old me chuckling at the old man following a senior fitness app. I’ve structured my work and home life to be peaceful, calm, and fun-loving. Physical problems I thought were permanent have surprised me by diminishing. I feel great—proud of my discipline, thrilled with my restructured lifestyle, and filled with enthusiasm for the life ahead. The Neanderthalic couch potato voice no longer narrates my story. Life feels easier with age, thanks to years of practice and progress. While.I admire those who pursue health and fitness at a much higher level than me, I’m quite content with where I am. Inner peace and harmony are the emotional rewards emanating from a more respectful way of caring for my physical health.