When I first developed the seven areas of life management, I decided to list physical care third, not because it is more important than relationships or study, but because it is so often disregarded by Americans, whether we’re leaders or not. Perhaps nothing is more discussed and less done than caring for our bodies through diet and exercise. When I first commented on physical care, diet and exercise were the sole focus. I have since added addictive behaviors and television viewing as part of physical care, because so many of us have challenges in those areas as well when it comes to taking care our bodies. Let’s take a look at each of those areas now.
Americans talk a great deal about exercise. In fact if we exercised as much as we talked about it, we’d all be in great physical condition. Every January we buy gym memberships, exercise equipment and videos and some of us even start exercising as part of New Year’s resolutions to get in shape. For some, that’s as far as the physical conditioning goes. For others, we start the program, but for most it never becomes a habit. We work out for a while, and then we give up, or we get bored, or we get injured, and that’s that. We gave it a try, but that’s it.
The key when it comes to every area of physical care is to move beyond trying to training. The Apostle Paul reminded Timothy 2,000 years ago that physical TRAINING is of some benefit. Training is an ongoing, intentional process that gives us the ability to accomplish something over time that we can’t do today. Trying is making an attempt, giving it the “old college try.” An extreme example of the difference between trying and training is: if you and I decided to try to run a marathon–twenty-six miles, 385 yards–right now, most of us wouldn’t make it a mile. Some would get two, or four, or perhaps six and that would be it. But, if we would train for twenty weeks, any of us who are in average physical health could start and complete a marathon. I know, because I did that.
Over the years I have gone thorough cycles of training and then getting bored. During the cycles of training I got ready for and ran a marathon, swam a mile a day six days a week, completed P90X twice, PR0X2, and P90X3. Consistency over time is the key to training in every area of life, but particularly when it comes to exercise. Depending on our age, interests and general health, the type and amount of exercise we need will vary, but the key is to train rather than try.
When it comes to diet the challenge is to be consistent in eating what is good for us. There are many types of eating plans on the market today. Each tells us they are more “natural,” more “healthy,” and gain better results than the others. We live in a culture that can market anything to seem like it’s good for us, and one that offers INSTANT results for just about everything. There is no instant eating plan or pill that will bring us health. As with exercise, consistency over time is the key to good health in the area of physical care. At the end of the day eating well and exercising regularly contribute to good overall health and weight. I’m not a medical doctor, but I know from decades of personal experience that eating well and exercising regularly lead to the most lasting results. If you’re 50 years old or older I recommend a book titled Younger Next Year as a great practical guide for taking better care of yourself and feeling better into your sixties, seventies and eighties. It was written by a lawyer and a medical doctor who have discovered what I have said: exercise and eating well, combined with positive relationships and pursuing meaning goals contribute to better overall health.
Addictive behaviors disrupt the physical, social, emotional and spiritual arenas of many people’s lives. In particular, addition to alcohol and other drugs derails countless people’s lives. Having led a Bible study at a halfway house for those in recovery from such addictions for the past six years, I have realized that while many factors contribute to these addictions one factor is prominent: a desire to feel good in the moment. People consume alcohol and other drugs because they work–until they don’t. Whether the drug is consumed to fit in, feel good, forget pain, or because it was part of one’s upbringing, at first it does what it was intended to do. Then over time the drug takes over the physical and emotional systems of the drug taker.
While the debate about whether abstinence or moderation is the solution to such addictions, this much is sure: one cannot become addicted to a substance one never ingests into one’s body. I have found that abstinence is the better option for me, because I am an “all in” kind of personality. You may find that moderation is a viable option for you. The key is not to let alcohol or any other drug become the “solution” to your problems, because they are NOT the solution.
Finally, I list television watching as a part of physical care, because so many of us “numb out” in front of a tv set at the end of our days or at other times. Television isn’t evil any more than alcohol or food is evil. Each has its place. The challenge with television for many is that it becomes a default mode for free time. The more time we spend in front of a television set, the less time we invest in quadrant II activities: reading, prayer, exercise, relationship-building, etc… Nancy and I have found that the less time we spend watching television the more effective the other areas of our lives become. We have only had cable for a couple of years in our entire married life, because we know that the more options we have, the more likely we are to mindlessly surf through the channels to find something to watch–and not having cable helps in the area of finances, too.
Physical is so crucial to our overall well-being, because when we are physically healthy we are more likely to pursue the other six areas more effectively. I haven’t been emphasizing this area as much as I need to over the past couple of months and I ‘m feeling it in every area of my life. I know the solution is INTENTIONALITY. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” I urge you to take some time today to reflect on where you are in each of these areas of physical care and then determine what you are going to do to TRAIN to improve in each area if you need to make changes. Remember that nothing happens instantly in this area, but over several months you can establish new patterns, or reestablish healthy habits, and doing so will pay dividends for the rest of your life!
Here’s to leading better, by taking better care of yourself–today and for the rest of the days ahead!