In every talk on health we’ve ever given, one line continuously plays out. “You have to earn the right to ask complicated questions.”

You can’t walk before you can crawl. You’ll fail trying to count every macro in your food before you simply make healthy food choices on a regular basis. Stop overthinking the “perfect” training program and simply make going to the gym a habit 2-3 times a week.

You earn the right to ask complicated questions by exploring the easy ones first through experimentation, failure, adaption, and ultimately a repeatable framework for success. Then you can optimize (by asking the detail oriented, complicated questions )to push yourself from 90% to 100%.

Stop asking the “but what ifs” before you even begin; just start doing. You don’t need every scheme worked out or every detail covered; you need to build the habit.

Building Good Habits

Building good habits works like dominoes; once you get one to fall, the ones that naturally come after fall like…well, dominoes.

Let’s quickly review a few main areas of physical health as an example: Training, Nutrition, Sleep, Stress, and Mindset.

If you get into a positive mindset about going to the gym, you’ll feel driven to workout. After going to the gym, you feel motivated to eat healthy to gain momentum (you don’t want to “waste” a good workout). After eating healthy and training for the day, you feel less stressed (including beneficial hormone releases). When less stressed after eating well and exercising, you find sleep comes easier. With better sleep, you wake up with more mental resilience to continue a positive mindset about our health…and down the mountain the snowball rolls.

This line of action might play out in a different order for you, but it works the same for gaining momentum nonetheless.

In many ways, your health is represented by a puzzle. Certain pieces fit together in order to create the full picture of health; however, you don’t need this full picture before we start (side note: imagine doing an actual puzzle but NOT having the cover of the box show you the full image)!

We need to start small with the puzzle (the edges, duh) and let the rest “domino” over.

Here’s a huge tip — start with the things and habits you’re best at FIRST. Do you like to run? Great, do it 2-3 times per week.

Do you eat pretty healthy on a regular basis? Great, start going deeper on improving your health through food.

Then, ask what other activities or goals might amplify the success you’re having in the gym/kitchen; eating healthier will certainly support your running habit as training will certainly amplify the results of your healthy eating habit.
The game is dominoes. Line ’em up, knock ’em down.

2022 is yours. Have the best day ever. Go get it.