What I learned in 2020 – Health
1 of 3: Health
Good riddance 2020! I’m so glad to turn the page to a fresh new year with the symbolic beginnings they bring. I can feel tides changing and optimism in people’s voices. It may not be tomorrow, but it seems likely that 2021 will have some changes to begin reverting us back to life as we know it. I can’t wait to hug again, hang in someone else’s house, go to a freaking restaurant, and just not be on edge every time we leave the house.
All that said, I can say 2020 wasn’t all bad. For starters, it was probably my biggest growth year as a man. I learned a tremendous amount about myself, business, family, clients, and friends this year. It was a crash course for me, that’s for sure. To distill all the things I learned into one blog would be very difficult. Instead, let me stay on brand and share with you my biggest takeaway this year in (you guessed it) Wealth, Health, and Happiness. Being this is what we hope to deliver through our partnership, it seems fitting to start the year off with some reflection.
Health:
Let’s start with health. This year was a rollercoaster, personally. Quarantine started, and our alcohol consumption and poor eating habits went way up. We ate for comfort, we drank for comfort, and, quite frankly, we weren’t healthy as a family. Also like many others, things were a struggle mentally as we weren’t seeing people and were very cautious in human interactions. Sadly, we lost some loved ones (miss you, Gigi). On top of that, there was a world of uncertainties (economic, jobs, etc.,) that weighed on us heavily. This took a toll on the overall stress level in my home (and I know in a lot of yours). I also saw this in many clients’ and friends’ lives.
There was a lot of stress, a lot of Covid-15 (like Freshmen 15), and in general not much exercising. Somewhere around the mid-Summer, that all changed. I realized my health affected so many other aspects of my life. It literally affects everything.
I started changing my diet drastically, and have since lost a bunch of much-needed weight. I drank less, ate less, and exercised more. The other key thing I introduced into my life was meditation. I was skeptical at first but needed something to destress me during these difficult times. It took a while to get the hang of it and I’m still far from perfect (like I can’t understand how people can sit like that for extended periods of time), but it has become a routine for me that helps me mentally.
Looking back, it’s been a year of ups and downs for us all. 2020 had its trials and its tribulations. At the end of the day, I learned that if I want to be here long term, and be the best version of myself for others that count on me, I must put my health first. I have to find a way to prioritize my eating, my exercise, my meditation, and my overall health.
It’s funny, I seem to be following the trend. I’ve seen more clients and friends recently on Zoom meetings with dramatic weight loss. I’ve seen people less stressed with work and doing more physical activity in general. This was a year of massive introspection for many, where we learned to finally put health first.
I’m a big believer in you have to do things for a while (some say 7 straight days) to make them a habit. I’ve maintained a lot of these things for much longer and made them a lifestyle decision. I’ll have bad days, cheat days, and lazy days. But if my default is a healthier overall lifestyle then watch out world!
I started this blog thinking I’d hit on all three areas of what I learned this year but got carried away on health alone. So good news-bad news, there will be two more of these blogs that follow suit focusing on what I learned about wealth, and happiness in the following weeks.
Until then, do your best to keep staying healthy, and get ready to see what I learned about wealth and happiness.
