Our resident health writer Lesh Karan writes about ‘rocks’ and ‘sand’ to help you kickstart and commit to your health.
Have you heard of the ‘jar of life’ analogy? Where you fill the jar with rocks first (i.e. the important things in life, such as family, health, purpose and relationships), instead of sand (the trivial matters and material possessions) – because, if it’s the other way around, you wouldn’t have room for your rocks? These three steps will help you to recognise your rocks and create a holistic health routine.
Identify
It’s essential to differentiate your rocks from your sand. What’s most important to you? Especially now if you’re approaching or are in retirement? Is health one of your rocks? Because if it isn’t, you won’t give it the time of day it deserves. So be honest. It may require you to reshuffle your priorities (i.e. your rocks). This requires self-awareness. Listen to your heart and gut to recognise what’s important to you at this stage of your life, including all aspects of your health – physical, mental and spiritual.
Read more at Huffington Post.
Schedule
Once you recognise your top rocks, work out how you are going to fit them in your life. Taking some time each week to schedule the important goals helps you to commit and follow through. For example, you may want to schedule into your diary the days of the week and times you’ll be doing your yoga, walk, strength training, etc., as well as weekly catch-ups with a good friend or family member who’s funny and uplifting. Don’t forget to schedule downtime for yourself and for creative fun. Soon, you may find it becomes a routine – a new mindset to live in such a way.
Read more on scheduling your priorities at ExaminedExistence.com.
Say no
If you want to succeed at kickstarting your health – and maintaining it – then you’ll need to start saying no. It’s been said that one of the secrets to Steve Jobs’ success was to say no to 1000 things.
So, now that you’ve scheduled your rocks, hopefully it’ll make it easier to say ‘no’ to the sand. Say no to TV if it means missing out on a walk and/or cooking your dinner. Say no to meeting people who are not important to you or who gossip and bring you down. Say no to activities that move you away from you health, rather than drive you towards it.
Read more on how to say no to people at AlexandraFranzen.com.
This is how, slowly but surely, you’ll form good habits to kickstart your health and keep it on autopilot.
