Steering Your Health: Are You in the Driver’s Seat or the Passenger Seat WITHOUT a Driver?

Steering Your Health: Are You in the Driver's Seat or the Passenger Seat WITHOUT a Driver?

Are you speeding down Life's highway…. in the passenger seat without a Driver?

You're going somewhere pretty quick but you don't really know where, although you guessing it probably won't end well. In fact you might be on the wrong side of the road going the wrong way.

That's what it's like when you "LET Things Happen" instead of "MAKE Things Happen" when it comes to your Health and Fitness.

As you head towards your retirement wouldn't you rather be driving rather than being a scared passenger in a driverless car?

Does this ring any bells? If it does you're not unusual, if anything you're just normal. Most of us live like this due to all the distractions of our busy lives working hard and long hours running our business, doing our best to care for the family, managing all the bills etc.

The last 30 odd years have flown by and the last thing we've really thought about looking after is our own health and fitness.

This was me going into 2020 when we all went through the nightmare health situation during 2020-2021. It got me re-thinking lots of things and especially my own health and fitness.

It took me a while (about 2 years!) but eventually in March 2022 I MADE the big decision to start getting fit and healthy.

Taking the Wheel: Are you Steering Your Health?

You're probably mega-busy like me with a list of things to do longer than both arms…. and legs.

So like I did, you just shoved your health in the back seat and forgot about it for 30 odd years. Maybe you never even thought about it at all even when you were a teen in the 80's or starting to take responsibility for building your life in the 90's.

If you don't think about it then it's not obvious but actually your health and fitness is the most important thing you should be thinking about right now. You're Number ONE! Or you should be (I'll come back to that in a minute….)

Without good health you can't operate well. You will start to fail in small areas physically and mentally, these small issues will turn into bigger issues. Eventually you will grind to a halt. Just like your car - if you don't take care of it, then it will 100% guaranteed let you down and just stop at some point in the future.

The point is you don't know when it will happen and how serious it's going to be. Will it be a flat tyre or will you have blown the engine and need a new one?

Like I said you don't know when it will happen - but it will…. and it will usually surprise you when you least expect it and at the most inconvenient time.

Without your health you can't run your business properly and more importantly you can't live and run your life well with your loved ones and friends.

Oh by the way the "You're Number ONE" thing is another subject in itself but the point I'm making is you need to focus on yourself FIRST and get yourself fixed up before worrying about everyone else in your life. This doesn't mean you're selfish and look down on people, it just means you focus on yourself and allocate the right amount of time and effort to get yourself into the position you are fit and healthy enough to take care of yourself, your business and everyone else who matters.

Understanding the Power of "Make it Happen" Health Management

When you first got into business you didn't just sit around "letting" things happen…. You more than likely got out there and "MADE" things happen. If you hadn't then your business wouldn't have got off the ground.

It's the same with your Health and Fitness - you have to MAKE it happen. You're in charge - no-one else.

You don't HAVE to be Unhealthy - It's Not Written In Stone!

It's not a fact of life that you are destined to be unfit and unhealthy as you get older. Just because everyone else around is unhealthy doesn't automatically mean you've got not choice.

You could argue…. "Yeah Dave but my family genes are this that and the other which is why I've got this problem…. Also Dave I'm over 50 now, there's not much hope for me, it's too late, there's no point bothering"

Well there might be a tiny bit of truth in some of that but generally for most people it is possible to start improving their health straight away. The human body is amazing and can heal and fix things really well as long as you help it out a bit and give it a chance.

(Look at how well and quickly it repairs a cut on your skin, or more impressively fixes a broken bone. Apparently if you chop part of your liver out it will grow back to it's original size. Like I said your body is amazing and can turn things around and get better).

The fact of the matter is that you are the way you are now or you will be the way you end up due to the simple law of CAUSE and EFFECT (which is another important subject for another day). Basically most of what you eat and drink, breathe in, the exercise you do or don't do influences most of your current and future health and fitness.

This is great news (although a lot of guys don't want to hear it for some reason) because it means you can influence everything and make changes. It's up to you though.

Stay the same and most likely decline and end up needing walking sticks, wheelchairs and maybe end up in a Nursing home eventually or be mobile, flexible, strong, confident and have loads of energy to take part in family outings and activities and set a positive example to the young ones!

Steer It! Take Responsibility for Your Health and Fitness

Okay I'll just tell you straight…. Your health is your responsibility. Not your doctor's, not your Partner's, not your kid's. Yours. And that's actually fantastic news because it means you have the power to change it for the better.

You need to MAKE the BIG DECISION…. and this decision is the most important step to take. The system you then choose to follow isn't the most important thing. There are thousands of systems and frameworks like mine and no doubt a lot of them will work and help you get fitter.

But all the systems in the world are no good if you don't take the very serious decision to take responsibility for your own health and fitness and start DOING something to improve it.

Shifting Gears: From "LETTING Things Happen" to "MAKING Things Happen"

So if you've decided (seriously decided!) you want to shift gears from reverse to forwards and get stronger, fitter and healthier then you need to make the shift from "LETTING" things happen to "MAKING" things happen.

It's a simple shift in how your mind works and how you look at things. It's a bit like changing your thought process from "I can't…. or…. that won't work" to "I CAN…. or…. How can I make it work?" So it's more about asking questions - working out how to get the results you want and NEED.

Basically think back to your earlier days in business, that's no doubt how you tackled that. You started your business and grew it by thinking positively and asking questions - "How can I do this? How can I do that? What do I need to…." You get my point - you've already got the ability to do this.

What Areas are You 'Letting' Things Happen to Your Health and Fitness?

Have a good hard look at yourself, what areas are you just "letting" happen? Maybe you don't exercise because you are too busy. Maybe you take the escalator or elevator because you haven't got the energy to climb a few flights of stairs. Maybe you park as close as possible to the grocery store because you can't be bothered walking an extra hundred yards.

Maybe you don't eat much natural fruit and vegetables because you simply haven't even thought about the benefits. Maybe it's just easier to buy processed food and stick it in the fryer or microwave. Maybe you don't even get involved in the food buying decisions and just eat what you're given!

All these things and more are all compounding to negatively affect your health and fitness and are typical of guys that just "LET" things happen.

You've Got Your Business Strategies, Now It's Time to Develop Your Health Strategy!

I'm guessing you've already produced and followed all sorts of business strategies in the past. You're good at looking at your business, thinking ahead of where you'd like to go and then working out a strategy of how you're going to get there.

Well it's the same for your health and fitness, you just follow the same process. Get a positive view on where you'd like to go and make a simple strategy and plan of how to get there. It's definitely not rocket science.

You Choose - Get Out of the Passenger Seat and Start Driving

Remember you're in charge. You don't have a boss anymore. You manage your time and you decide what you do and when you do it.

Yes you can claim that you've got no free time because of all your business and customer demands, but in reality you manage your time not your customers.

It's your decision to jump out of the passenger seat and into the empty driver's seat and take control.

It's Your Health - Take Responsibility and Drive it…. Go Where You Want to Go

You really are in charge. You really can choose the journey of living a fit and healthy lifestyle with all the benefits that go with it and reduce and remove a lot of the negatives you will face if you continue do nothing.

You really can turn it around and much quicker than you'd imagine. I started feeling the benefits very quickly and certainly felt much better, more confident and happier within weeks.

You Need a Simple Map or Sat Nav…. Where Do You Want to GO?

So the starting point is thinking about where you are now and where would you like to go? Maybe don't think of it as a destination, just a way to live.

So maybe the journey is going from living an unhealthy lifestyle to living a fit and healthy, happy lifestyle?

Where are You Now? What's Your Starting Point?

So it's worth just having a quick think about your starting point. Where are you now? It might be as simple as "I'm unfit, I can't even run 50 yards." It will help to write a few things down, for me it was things like (in no particular order):

• I struggled to do even 1 Push-Up (which was a shock when I realized)
• I didn't like running (or walking much!)
• I avoided stairs, I always took escalators or lifts - even for a couple of floors
• My muscles seemed like they were smaller than years ago
• I used to get out of breath quite easily after just a bit of walking quickly or up hill
• I used to take 2 sugars in coffee and drink 4-6 of these every day
• I didn't each much vegetables, salad or fruit
• I ate more processed food than food from natural ingredients
• I sometimes drank too much alcohol
• I had lost my positive 'Can Do' attitude that I had in my 20's and early 30's
• I avoided swimming in the pool or sea - because I couldn't be bothered
• I used to get the regular 'Colds' and 'Man-Flu'
• I sometimes used to feel more negative than positive
• I was not over weight but still had a bit of a 'stomach' - belly fat.

Maybe you can relate to some of this? Maybe you are starting to suffer from some sort of sickness or chronic illness? (I was lucky I hadn't quite reached that stage).

Anyway just think about how you are now, how you feel and note this as your starting point. You might want to get very specific and think about writing down very detailed facts like noting your weight, your waist size etc. That's fine and they are measurements you can actually track and check easily.

Where Would You Like to Go With Your Health and Fitness?

Once you've made a note or even just a mental not of where you are now and how you feel, it's time to think positive and think about where you would like to go or more specifically HOW you would like to be, how you'd like to live your life.

For me it was simple - My Mission was to be Stronger and live a Fit, Healthy and Happy lifestyle. So to do that I knew that I needed to improve both physically and mentally.

Make a Very Simple Activity Plan…. And Think STOP/START, REDUCE / INCREASE?

Think SIMPLE! The last thing we need in our busy lives, running our business and trying to take care of our loved ones is a complex plan to add to all our other actions plans and to do lists.

The way I think about it is pretty simple. I just think…. STOP / START, REDUCE / INCREASE.

What I mean is I think about the things I could or should STOP doing (e.g. taking 2 sugars in coffee!). Or I think about things I could or should START doing (e.g. Strength exercises like Push-Ups).

In a similar way I think about the things I could or should REDUCE (e.g. sugary foods / cakes). Or I think about the things I could or should INCREASE (e.g. more Salads and Fruit).

So there might be specific things you want to list and make goals to achieve, but for a lot of this stuff I just have the STOP / START, REDUCE / INCREASE as an ongoing guideline to keep me in check.

For example I was going through Palma airport in Majorca a couple of weeks ago and I had the choice of those automatic moving walkways that you can go on to speed you up on the flat! (Or if you're dead lazy you just stand there and move along the flat walkway slower than if you were walking!). So this forces a decision on me - walk past the automatic conveyor or walk on the conveyor to reduce walking distance. So obviously I avoided the easy route. The same for moving from one floor to another I took the stairs instead of the escalator. To be fair I was travelling light (If I'd had loads of heavy suitcases I'd be taking the easier option!). You get the idea though.

In the supermarket I don't specifically think I will buy specific healthy items I just use the way of thinking I've developed to steer me in the right direction. So I avoid food with artificial preservatives and sweeteners and when I'm in the fruit and veg area I'll try to buy more fruit than I used to.

The overall question or thought process is 'Will this improve my immune system or harm it?' Or 'Will this be good for me or bad?'. I don't think I'm paranoid about it - maybe some would say I am, I just see it as second nature for me, it's just the way I think and approach things.

Use Your IMAGINATION and Breathe a Bit Harder!

Don't forget there's the non physical side to think about as well as the physical side. What you 'think' about is so important. If you're running your own business you're probably even more aware how this works, but what you think directly affects your results. You have the choice to think positively or negatively and your outcomes will usually reflect the way you were thinking.

For example, thinking about how to solve problems will definitely help you find the answers you need and thinking about all the problems and how they are causing you so much hassle and there's simply no way of fixing them…. will no doubt result in you procrastinating and doing nothing and suffering even more.

So your mind is an important area to include in assessing where you are now and where you'd like to go, how you'd like to live your life.

So maybe MORE positive imagination and deep breathing (MORE / LESS!).

DO Something! Anything Positive - GO FOR IT!

It might be a very good idea to start small! What I mean is don't create a massive plan of action covering everything single thing you'd like to START / STOP, INCREASE or DECREASE. If you do that you'll probably end up with a list of 100 things which is way over the top and too daunting.

Just pick a few things to think about. Start doing something you don't do now or haven't done for year. STOP doing just one thing that you know is not good for you. Look at some of the things you do which are good for you and do more of them. Or look at things which aren't so good and start doing less of them (or eating less of them!).

The point is…. DO something. GO For It!

Think 80/20 - Find High Leverage Activities That Don't Take Long

Maybe think hard about choosing things that you think will probably impact you fairly quickly or where you will soon see or feel the results.

So for me I wanted to start doing Push-Ups because I used to love doing them when I was in my early 20's. I knew that they are high leverage and for very little effort and time every day will soon have a positive effect on numerous muscles in my body, especially the upper half. By the way be careful with push-ups, if you're over weight or like me hadn't done them for over 30 years you could easily hurt yourself (fall flat on your face!) or damage bones, ligaments, muscles. So take care and start with easier exercises. For example start with push-ups against a wall rather than on the floor. Just use your common sense and seek advice if you're unsure.

More ideas like reducing sugar intake you can start straight away and this will definitely help your body and immediately start reducing the chances of diabetes, and heart related issues. It could also help you reduce weight.

But you could soon start doing a few things straight away that will all combine to making you fitter and healthier and trust me you will soon feel it - you will feel better.

So a few quick ideas - start stretching your muscles, a few minutes a day, start doing some strength exercises, find excuses to walk more and use stairs. Eat more salad and vegetables. Reduce and ideally stop soft drinks (they virtually all have artificial preservatives and sweeteners in them). Reduce sugar in general. Start doing some deep breathing for a few minutes a day.

So you can quickly start with a simple list without getting overly complicated. You will soon start feeling proud of your achievements day by day, no matter how small they are. All these new small habits will snowball into a healthier fitter lifestyle which reduce your chances of chronic sickness and pain and make you feel much happier and able to live an active lifestyle into your 60's, 70's and hopefully beyond!

Find Some Kind of System to Help

The important thing to get going and KEEP going is making the decision and setting your mission to live a fit and healthy lifestyle. You then start forming standards / rules to help guide you along and stay on track. E.g. one of my simple standards / rules is 'NO Sugar in Coffee!", no matter what I DO NOT take sugar in coffee anymore. It's not me. I never break that rule. It would be like letting a door slam shut in an old lady's face. You just DON'T do it!

So once you've made the important decision to live a fit, healthy and happy lifestyle you need some sort of system to follow. I developed Route-444 for me because I needed something simple that didn't need me to spend hours a week on. I'm really busy so just didn't have time to spare on 'getting fit'.

Obviously you can follow my Route-444 framework if you like but I'll be honest there's hundreds of systems out there and more than likely most of them will work if you follow them. So feel free to check out whatever you fancy. Providing you're serious and have REALLY made the decision then you will more than likely do well following most systems.

I couldn't find anything that suited me which is why I developed my own framework, I was determined (being a big fan of the 80/20 Rule) that there must be a way of getting stronger, fitter and healthier without having to go to the gym for hours every week, without having to buy fancy sports clothes and gym equipment and without having to follow and difficult complicated strict diets. After a year of testing out ideas and tweaking things I started to develop what I now call Route-444 and it's almost a year since I started following the latest version and I find it pretty simple and easy.

Keep and Eye on Your Speedo and Sat Nav - Make Sure Your Happy with Progress

As part of my Route-444 I developed a spreadsheet for Excel and Google Sheets which helps me monitor my daily progress and keeps me on track. I have an overall measurement for each activity to show if I'm on track for the month or behind and this is a quick easy indicator which either makes me feel good if I'm on track or gives me a virtual kick up the backside if I'm lagging behind a bit.

I couldn't find an app or piece of software which was simple enough and gave me the overall view I needed of progress which is why I developed my own spreadsheet. To be fair you don't need a spreadsheet, you could just make simple lists which you can print out every week or month and just tick off the stuff you do every day. This alone will give you a good quick overview and should help motivate you to keep going.

The Road Ahead - MAKE it Happen - Get Fit and Healthy - GO FOR IT!

So the main point of this is that you have the decision to either MAKE things happen or LET them happen. It really is up to you.

When you're ready MAKE the decision to get stronger, fitter and healthier. The sooner the better.

Only you can make this decision and when you do, trust me you will soon live a happier life and significantly reduce the chances of chronic illness and risk having to be dependent on others in old age.

You will have more energy to spend time with your family and without realizing at first you'll start setting an example to your loved ones and you will soon see some of them quietly changing their ways too!

When that happens you should rightly feel good about inspiring your most important loved ones to get fitter and healthier and live better happier lives to.

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